AN APPLICATION OF THE PHOSPHORUS CONSISTENT RULE FOR ENVIRONMENTALLY ACCEPTABLE COST-EFFICIENT MANAGEMENT OF BROILER LITTER IN CROP PRODUCTION

We calculated the profitability of using broiler litter as a source of plant nutrients using the phosphorus consistent litter application rule. The cost saving by using litter is 37% over the use of chemical fertilizer alone to meet the nutrient needs of major crops grown in Alabama. In the optimal solution, only a few routes of all the possible routes developed were used for inter- and intra- county litter hauling. If litter is not adopted as the sole source of crop nutrients, the best environmental policy may be to pair the phosphorus consistent rule with taxes, marketable permits, and subsidies.