# The Effect of Meat and Bone Meal on Yield and Herbage Quality in Silage Maize
###### Abstract  
The purpose of this field study was to assess the impact of meat and bone meal (MBM) on maize. The experimental procedures were as follows: (1) without fertilization; (2) inorganic nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus; (3) 1.0 Mg\(\cdot\)ha\({}^{-1}\) MBM; (4) 1.5 Mg\(\cdot\)ha\({}^{-1}\) MBM; and (5) 2.0 Mg\(\cdot\)ha\({}^{-1}\) MBM. Each year, MBM was applied before sowing. Nitrogen and potassium were applied at constant rates, and phosphorus was applied at increasing rates of 0.0, 45, 68, and 90 kg\(\cdot\)ha\({}^{-1}\). The herbage yields were significantly higher in fertilized treatments. Fertilization contributed to a significant increase in the crude protein content of maize herbage. The yield and other herbage parameters were affected by weather conditions and the amount of time that passed since the MBM application. The study demonstrated that the lowest dose of MBM (1.0 Mg\(\cdot\)ha\({}^{-1}\)), which supplied 45 kg phosphorus\(\cdot\)ha\({}^{-1}\), fully met the phosphorus requirements of maize. Z  
particularly organic waste. Bio-based fertilizers are recovered from various by-products and biomass types to close nutrient cycles and recycle and repurpose nutrients within food systems [5, 7, 8, 9, 10]. Meat and bone meal (MBM) may serve as a practical substitute for organic fertilizers because it is a relatively abundant source of nitrogen (N), P, Ca, micronutrients, as well as organic matter (OM) [11, 12, 13, 14, 15]. Meat and bone meal can be applied to replace or supplement conventional mineral fertilizers to improve P recycling and to replace manure in organic non-livestock farms. In Poland, MBM is approved for agricultural use as a \"soil improv\" with an approved ingredient, i.e., calcium oxide or hydrated calcium oxide. Organic farming, which places the highest emphasis on sustainable development and environmental management, offers opportunities and faces challenges in the context of global population growth and the role of strategic crops such as maize, soybean, and rice. A key characteristic of organic farming is the use of slow-release fertilizers. Such fertilizers improve soil health and contribute to maintaining long-term nutrient balance, but they can also limit direct nutrient supply to high-yielding crops. It should be noted that organic farming extends beyond production and adopts a holistic approach to building self-sufficient farming communities [16]. In contrast to N, phosphate rock is a non-renewable resource [7, 9, 17, 18]. According to estimates, phosphate reserves that can be economically extracted may be depleted within the next 50-100 years [19, 20]. Moreover, due to the uneven distribution of the world's phosphate rock, many European countries including Poland have to rely on imports of this critical raw material [7]. The mining of rock phosphate raises environmental concerns, which is why its use should be carefully considered based on the specific needs of the soil and crops [16]. Therefore, the search for alternative, less expensive, and environmentally safe sources of plant-available nutrients is both timely and justified. A beneficial influence of MBM on the yields of many crop species has been described by numerous authors [11, 12, 14, 17, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25]. The application of MBM to maize grown for grain has been reported in the international literature [9, 13, 15, 26, 27, 28], whereas the application of MBM as fertilizer in silage maize remains insufficiently investigated. With the above in mind, a field experiment was conducted to evaluate the applicability of MBM in silage maize cultivation. The research hypothesis postulated that MBM can be the only source of P for maize and that it can replace conventional mineral P fertilizers. The purpose of this research was to determine the effects of three increasing MBM doses and experimental years on the yield and nutritional value of maize herbage harvested for silage production.