Summary
A laboratory study was made of the losses of nitrogen through ammonia volatilization from four flooded, tropical soils. The soils used varied considerably in pH, organic matter content, and cation exchange capacity. Losses were measured from the unamended soils, and from ammonium sulphate and urea-treated soils. Two rates of nitrogen application (approximately 50 and 200 kg/ha N) and two methods of application (simulated field broadcast and fertilizer incorporation) of the nitrogen were used.
Losses of ammonia were detected for each of the unamended soils, including an acid sulphate soil of pH 3.6. Increased application of both ammonium sulphate and urea resulted in increased losses of ammonia through volatilization. Incorporation of the nitrogen into the mud of the flooded soils significantly decreased losses due to volatilization. It was concluded that the initial or ‘aerobic’ pH of the soils was the soil characteristic most closely related to the magnitude of losses due to volatilization.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
Literature cited
Allison, F. E., The enigma of soil nitrogen balance sheets. Advances in Agronomy7, 213–250 (1955).
Blasco, M. L. and Cornfield, A. H., Volatilization of nitrogen as ammonia from acid soils. Nature212, 1279–1280 (1966).
Ernst, J. W. and Massey, H. F., The effects of several factors on volatilization of ammonia formed from urea in the soil. Soil Sci. Soc. Amer. Proc.24, 87–90 (1960).
Harmsen, G. W. and Kolenbrander, G. J., Soil inorganic nitrogenIn: Soil Nitrogen (Eds. Bartholomew, W. V. and Clarke, F. E.) American Society of Agronomy Inc., Madison, Wisconsin, U.S.A., monograph No.1, p. 43–92 (1965).
Kresge, C. B. and Satchell, D. P., Gaseous loss of ammonia from nitrogen fertilizers applied to the soils. Agronomy J.52, 104–107 (1960).
MacRae, I. C., Ancajas, R. R. and Salandanan, S., The fate of nitrate nitrogen in some tropical soils following submergence. Soil Science105, 327–334 (1968).
Martin, J. P. and Chapman, H. D., Volatilization of ammonia from surface fertilized soils. Soil Sci.71, 25–34 (1951).
Mitsui, S., Ozaki, K. and Moriyama, M., On the volatilization of the ammonia transformed from urea. J. Sci. Soil Manure, Japan25, 17–19 (1954).
Ponnamperuma, F. N., Dynamic aspects of flooded soils and the nutrition of the rice plant.In: The mineral nutrition of the rice plant. A symposium. The John Hopkins Press, Baltimore, Md. pp. 295–328 (1964).
Wahhab, A., Randhawa, M. S. and Alam, S. W., Loss of ammonia from ammonium sulphate under different conditions when applied to soils. Soil Sci.84, 249–255 (1957).
Willis, W. H. and Sturgis, M. B., Losses of nitrogen from flooded soil as affected by changes in temperatures and reaction. Soil Sci. Soc. Amer. Proc.9, 106–113 (1944).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Macrae, I.C., Ancajas, R. Volatilization of ammonia from submerged tropical soils. Plant Soil 33, 97–103 (1970). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01378201
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01378201