Abstract
Ammonia volatilization loss from mineral N fertilizers was determined on a calcareous Chinese loess soil with a pH (CaCl2) of 7.7. An original in situ method that required no electricity or laboratory analyses was used. By means of a bellows pump, ambient air was drawn through four conical cups placed onto the soil (total area 400 cm2) and subsequently through an NH3-specific detector tube with direct colorimetric indication of the ammonia concentration (measuring range, 0.05–700 vol.-ppm NH3). Duration of measurement was about 3 min. Following N fertilization to winter wheat in 1990 and to summer maize in 1991, the application methods surface broadcast, uniform incorporation into the 0–15-cm layer, and for maize, a point placement at 10 cm depth were investigated. Ammonium bicarbonate and urea were applied at rates of 100 and 200 kg N ha−1. In the autumn of 1990, ammonia losses following NH4HCO3 application were more than twice as large as with urea, fertilizer incorporation reduced NH3 losses 15-fold, and doubling the nitrogen application rate resulted in a 1.7-fold increase in the percentage of nitrogen loss. Cumulative ammonia fluxes were about 2 times higher in the summer of 1991. Comparing application methods in summer, losses were significantly (3 times) lower only with point placement. The above differences were all significant at the P<0.05 level. Due to the very low air exchange rate (0.9 volumes min−1), actual volatilization rates were underestimated by this method. Though not yielding absolute amounts, the Dräger-Tube method proved very suitable for comparing relative differences in ammonia fluxes. The measurements clearly reflected the characteristic flux patterns for the different treatments and the effects of environmental factors on their time course.
References
Anderson JPE (1982) Soil respiration. In: Page AL et al. (ed) Methods of Soil Analysis, Part 2, 2nd edn, Agron. Monogr. 9, pp 831–871. Madison, Wisc: American Society of Agronomy, Soil Science Society of America
Aggarwal RK & Praveen-Kumar (1994) Availability and management of nitrogen in soils of arid ecosystem. Ann Arid Zone 33: 1–18
Beauchamp EG, Kidd GE & Thurtell G (1982) Ammonia volatilization from liquid dairy cattle manure in the field. Can J Soil Sci 62: 11–19
Bouwmeester RJB, Vlek PLG & Stumpe JM (1985) Effect of environmental factors on ammonia volatilization from a urea-fertilized soil. Soil Sci Soc Am J 49: 376–381
Cai GX, Zhu ZL, Trevitt ACF, Freney JR & Simpson JR (1986) Nitrogen loss from ammonium bicarbonate and urea fertilizers applied to flooded rice. Fertil Res 10: 203–215
Cai GX, Fan XH, Yang Z & Zhu ZL (1998) Gaseous loss of nitrogen from fertilizers applied to wheat on a calcareous soil in North China Plain. Pedosphere 8: 45–52
Christianson CB, Bationo A, Henao J & Vlek PLG (1990) Fate and efficiency of N fertilizers applied to pearl millet in Niger. Plant Soil 125: 221–231
Craig JR & Wollum WG II (1982) Ammonia volatilization and soil nitrogen changes after urea and ammonium nitrate fertilization of Pinus taeda L. Soil Sci Soc Am J 46: 409–414
Denmead OT (1983) Micrometeorological methods for measuring gaseous losses of nitrogen in the field. In: Freney JR & Simpson JR (eds) Gaseous Loss of Nitrogen from Plant-Soil Systems, pp 133–157. The Hague: Nijhoff-Junk
Denmead OT, Simpson JR & Freney JR (1977) A direct field measurement of ammonia emission after injection of anhydrous ammonia. Soil Sci Soc Am J 41: 1001–1004
Drägerwerk AG (1994) Dräger-Tube Handbook: Soil, Water and Air Investigations as well as Technical Gas Analysis, 9th edn, Lübeck, Germany: Drägerwerk Aktiengesellschaft
FAO (2000) Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, FAOSTAT — FAO Statistical Databases, Agriculture Data. http://apps.fao.org
Fenn LB & Hossner LR (1985) Ammonia volatilization from ammonium or ammonium-forming nitrogen fertilizers. Adv Soil Sci 1: 123–169
Fenn LB & Kissel DE (1973) Ammonia volatilization from surface applications of ammonium compounds to calcareous soils: I. General theory. Soil Sci Soc Am Proc 37: 855–859
Ferguson RB, McInnes KJ, Kissel DE & Kanemasu ET (1988) A comparison of methods of estimating ammonia volatilization in the field. Fertil Res 15: 55–69
Fox RH, Piekielek WP & Macneal KE (1996) Estimating ammonia volatilization losses from urea fertilizers using a simplified micrometeorological sampler. Soil Sci Soc Am J 60: 596–601
Hargrove WL, Kissel DE & Fenn LB (1977) Field measurements of ammonia volatilization from surface applications of ammonium salts to a calcareous soil. Agronomy J 69: 473–476
Hargrove WL, Bock BR, Raunikar RA & Urban WJ (1987) Comparison of a forced-draft technique to nitrogen-15 recovery for measuring ammonia volatilization under field conditions. Soil Sci Soc Am J 51: 124–128
Harper LA (1988) Comparisons of methods to measure ammonia volatilization in the field. In: Bock BR & Kissel DE (eds) Ammonia volatilization from urea fertilizers, Bulletin Y-206, pp 93–109. Muscle Shoals, AL: National Fertilizer Development Center, TVA
Harper LA & Sharpe RR (1998) Atmospheric ammonia: Issues on transport and nitrogen isotope measurement. Atmos Environ 32: 273–277
Harper LA, Catchpoole VR, Davis R & Weir KL (1983) Ammonia volatilization: Soil, plant, and microclimate effects on diurnal and seasonal fluctuations. Agron J 75: 212–218
Huber J & Amberger A (1989) NH3-Verluste unter verschiedenen Anbaubedingungen. Kongreßband 1989. VDLUFA-Schriftenreihe 30: 109–115
Institute of Soil Science, Academia Sinica (1990) Soils of China (English edn), Beijing, China: Science Press
Kang SZ, Zhong HZ & Zhang X (1992) A model of the crop water requirements and irrigation for different areas of Shaanxi Province. Chinese Water Resources and Electricity Press (in Chinese)
Katyal JC, Singh B, Vlek PLG & Buresh RJ (1987) Efficient nitrogen use as affected by urea application and irrigation sequence. Soil Sci Soc Am J 51: 366–370
Kirk GJD & Nye PH (1991) A model of ammonia volatilization from applied urea. V. The effects of steady-state drainage and evaporation. VI. The effects of transient-state water evaporation. J Soil Sci 42: 103–125
Kissel DE, Brewer HL & Arkin GF (1977) Design and test of a field sampler for ammonia volatilization. Soil Sci Soc Am J 41: 1133–1138
Leuning R, Freney JR, Denmead OT & Simpson JR (1985) A sampler for measuring atmospheric ammonia flux. Atmos Environ 19: 1117–1124
McInnes KJ, Kissel DE & Kanemasu ET (1985) Estimating ammonia flux: a comparison between the integrated horizontal flux method and theoretical solutions of the diffusion profile. Agron J 77: 884–889
McInnes KJ, Ferguson RB, Kissel DE & Kanemasu ET (1986a) Field measurements of ammonia loss from surface applications of urea solution to bare soil. Agron J 78: 192–196
McInnes KJ, Ferguson RB, Kissel DE & Kanemasu ET (1986b) Ammonia loss from applications of urea-ammonium nitrate solution to straw residue. Soil Sci Soc Am J 50: 969–974
Pacholski A, Cai GX, Fan XH, Roelcke M, Chen D & Richter J (1999) Eine einfache Methode zur Messung der Ammoniak-Volatilisation in situ — Vergleichsmessungen in Henan, V.R. China. Mitteilgn Dtsch Bodenkundl Gesellsch 91(II): 842–845
Pilbeam CJ & Hutchison D (1998) Fate of nitrogen applied in different fertilizers to the surface of a calcareous soil in Syria. Nutr Cycling Agroecosyst 52: 55–60
Rachhpal-Singh & Nye PH (1986) A model of ammonia volatilization from applied urea. I. Development of the model. II. Experimental testing. III. Sensitivity analysis, mechanisms, and applications. J Soil Sci 37: 9–40
Rachhpal-Singh & Nye PH (1988) A model of ammonia volatilization from applied urea. IV. Effect of method of urea application. J Soil Sci 39: 9–14
Rees RM, Roelcke M, Li SX, Wang XQ, Li SQ, Stockdale EA, McTaggart I, Smith KA & Richter J (1997) The effect of fertilizer placement on nitrogen uptake and yield of wheat and maize in Chinese loess soils. Nutr Cycling Agroecosyst 47: 81–91
Richter J (1972) Zur Methodik des Bodengashaushaltes. II. Ergebnisse und Diskussion. Z Pflanzenern Bodenkde 132: 220–239
Roelcke M (1994) Die Ammoniak-Volatilisation nach Ausbringung von Mineraldünger-Stickstoff in carbonatreichen Löß-Ackerböden. Ph.D. dissertation, Braunschweig Technical University. In: Göttinger Beiträge zur Land-und Forstwirtschaft in den Tropen und Subtropen 92, Göttingen, Germany: Erich Goltze
Roelcke M, Han Y, Li SX & Richter J (1996) Laboratory measurements and simulations of ammonia volatilization from urea applied to calcareous Chinese loess soils. Plant Soil 181: 123–129
Roelcke M, Rees RM, Li SX & Richter J (2000) Studies of the nitrogen cycle on the southern edge of the Chinese Loess Plateau. In: Laflen J, Huang C & Tian J (eds) Proceedings of Conference Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming, Xi'an, China, Sept. 1997, Chapter 12, pp 103–120. New York: CRC Press
Ryden JC & Lockyer DR (1985) Evaluation of a system of wind tunnels for field studies of ammonia loss from grassland through volatilization. J Sci Food Agric 36: 781–788
Schjørring JK, Sommer SG & Ferm M (1992) A simple passive sampler for measuring ammonia emission in the field. Wat Air Soil Pollut 61: 13–24
Statistical Graphics Corporation (1993) STATGRAPHICS, Maryland: STSC Inc.
USDA (1994) Keys to Soil Taxonomy, 6th edn, Washington, DC: USDA Soil Conservation Service
Vlek PLG & Stumpe JM (1978) Effects of solution chemistry and environmental conditions on ammonia volatilization losses from aqueous systems. Soil Sci Soc Am J 42: 416–421
Wang XZ, Zhang SL, Xu YH, Zhu ZL & Freney JR (1991) Fate of fertilizer nitrogen applied to crops grown on fluvo-aquic soil in Huang-Huai-Hai plain. Pedosphere 1: 145–155
Water Economy Bureau Xianyang (1989) Hydrology Manual, Xianyang, Shaanxi, China: Bureau of Water Economy and Soil and Water Conservation of Xianyang City (in Chinese)
Wilson JD, Thurtell GW, Kidd GE & Beauchamp EG (1982) Estimation of the rate of gaseous mass transfer from a surface source plot to the atmosphere. Atmos Environ 16: 1861–1867
Wilson JD, Catchpoole VR, Denmead OT & Thurtell GW (1983) Verification of a simple micrometeorological method for estimating the rate of gaseous mass transfer from the ground to the atmosphere. Agric Meteorol 29: 183–189
Zhang SL, Cai GX, Wang XZ, Xu YH, Zhu ZL & Freney JR (1992) Losses of urea-nitrogen applied to maize grown on a calcareous fluvo-aquic soil in North China Plain. Pedosphere 2: 171–178
Zhu ZL, Cai GX, Simpson JR, Zhang SL, Chen DL, Jackson AV & Freney JR (1989) Processes of nitrogen loss from fertilizers applied to flooded rice fields on a calcareous soil in north-central China. Fertil Res 18: 101–115
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Roelcke, M., Li, S., Tian, X. et al. In situ comparisons of ammonia volatilization from N fertilizers in Chinese loess soils. Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems 62, 73–88 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1015186605419
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1015186605419