Ammonia volatilization from poultry manure-amended soil

Summary

Poultry manure (PM) is commonly applied to cropland as a fertilizer, usually at rates determined by the nitrogen content of the manure. Limited information is available, however, on the volatilization of ammonia from poultry manure-amended soils, despite the effect these losses may have on the fertilizer value of the manure. This study was initiated to determine the influence of incorporation and residue cover on NH₃ losses from PM-amended soils. In the first experiment, a dynamic flow technique was used to measure NH₃ losses from 18 manures applied to a bare soil surface at a rate of 12 Mg ha^-1. In the second experiment, 3 of the 18 manures were incorporated either immediately, 24 h or 72 h after application. The third experiment compared the same three manures applied to a bare soil surface or to corn or soybean residues. Surface application of the manures resulted in the loss of from 4 to 31% of the total N applied in the manures. Incorporation of the PM with soil significantly reduced NH₃ loss with the greatest decrease following immediate incorporation. Crop residues either had no effect or slightly reduced NH₃ volatilization losses relative to PM application to a bare soil surface. Ammonia volatilization was not well correlated with individual manure properties, but a multiple regression approach using manure pH and total N content offered some promise as a means to segregate manures of the basis of volatilization potential.