Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Effects of form of effluent, season and urease inhibitor on ammonia volatilization from dairy farm effluent applied to pasture

  • SOILS, SEC 2 • GLOBAL CHANGE, ENVIRON RISK ASSESS, SUSTAINABLE LAND USE • RESEARCH ARTICLE
  • Published:
Journal of Soils and Sediments Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

With land application of farm effluents from cows during housing or milking as an accepted practice, there are increasing concerns over its effect on nitrogen (N) loss through ammonia (NH3) volatilization. Understanding the relative extent and seasonal variation of NH3 volatilization from dairy effluent is important for the development of management practices for reducing NH3 losses. The objectives of this study were to determine potential NH3 losses from application of different types of dairy effluent (including both liquid farm dairy effluent (FDE) and semi-solid dairy farm manure) to a pasture soil during several contrasting seasons and to evaluate the potential of the urease inhibitor (UI)—N-(n-butyl) thiophosphoric triamide (NBTPT, commercially named Agrotain®) to reduce gaseous NH3 losses.

Material and methods

Field plot trials were conducted in New Zealand on an established grazed pasture consisting of a mixed perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.)/white clover (Trifolium repens L.) sward. An enclosure method, with continuous air flow, was used to compare the effects of treatments on potential NH3 volatilization losses from plots on a free-draining volcanic parent material soil which received either 0 (control) or 100 kg N ha−1 as FDE or manure (about 2 and 15 % of dry matter (DM) contents in FDE or manure, respectively) with or without NBTPT (0.25 g NBTPT kg−1 effluent N). The experiment was conducted in the spring of 2012 and summer and autumn of 2013.

Results and discussion

Results showed that application of manure and FDE, both in fresh and stored forms, potentially led to NH3 volatilization, ranging from 0.6 to 19 % of applied N. Difference in NH3 losses depended on the season and effluent type. Higher NH3 volatilization was observed from both fresh and stored manure, compared to fresh and stored FDE. The difference was mainly due to solid contents. The losses of NH3 were closely related to NH4 +-N content in the two types of manure. However, there was no relationship between NH3 losses and NH4 +-N content in either type of FDE. There was no consistent seasonal pattern, although lower NH3 losses from fresh FDE and stored FDE applied in spring compared to summer were observed. Potential NH3 losses from application of fresh FDE or manure were significantly (P < 0.05) reduced by 27 to 58 % when NBTPT was added, but the UI did not significantly reduce potential NH3 volatilization from stored FDE or manure.

Conclusions

This study demonstrated that NH3 losses from application of FDE were lower than from manure and that UIs can be effective in mitigating NH3 emissions from land application of fresh FDE and manure. Additionally, reducing the application of FDE in summer can also potentially reduce NH3 volatilization from pasture soil.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Black AS, Sherlock RR, Cameron KC, Smith NP, Goh KM (1985a) Comparison of three field methods for measuring ammonia volatilization from urea granules broadcast on to pasture. J Soil Sci 36:271–280

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Black AS, Sherlock RR, Smith NP, Cameron KC, Goh KM (1985b) Effects of form of nitrogen, season, and urea application rate on ammonia volatilisation from pastures. N Z J Agric Res 28:469–474

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bolan NS, Saggar S, Luo J, Bhandral R, Singh J (2004) Gaseous emissions of nitrogen from grazed pastures: processes, measurements and modelling, environmental implications, and mitigation. Adv Agron 84:37–120

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Chadwick DR, Pain BF, Brookman SKE (2000) Nitrous oxide and methane emissions following application of animal manures to grassland. J Environ Qual 29:277–287

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dairy NZ (2011) New Zealand dairy statistics 2010–2011. DairyNZ Limited, Hamilton

    Google Scholar 

  • Engel R, Jones C, Wallander R (2011) Ammonia volatilization from urea and mitigation by NBPT following surface application to cold soils. Soil Sci Soc Am J 75:2348–2357

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ghani A, Dexter M, Sarathchandra U, Waller J (2005) Effects of dairy factory effluent application on nutrient transformation in soil. N Z J Agric Res 48(2):241–253

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Haynes RJ, Williams PH (1993) Nutrient cycling and soil fertility in the grazed pasture ecosystem. Adv Agron 49:119–199

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hewitt AE (1993) Methods and rationale of the New Zealand soil classification. In: Landcare research science, vol 2. Manaaki Whenua, Lincoln

    Google Scholar 

  • 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

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Li J, Shi Y, Luo J, Zaman M, Houlbrooke D, Ding W, Ledgard S, Ghani A (2014) Use of nitrogen process inhibitors for reducing gaseous nitrogen losses from land-applied farm effluents. Biol Fertil Soils 50(1):133–145

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Longhurst B, Houlbrooke D, Orchiston T, Muirhead R (2012) Characterising dairy manures and slurries. In: Currie LD, Christensen CL (eds) Advanced nutrient management: gains from the past-goals for the future. http://flrc.massey.ac.nz/publications.html. Occasional Report No. 25. Fertilizer and lime Research Centre, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand

  • Luo J, Saggar S, Bhandral R, Bolan N, Ledgard S, Lindsey S, Sun W (2008) Effects of irrigating dairy-grazed grassland with farm dairy effluent on nitrous oxide emissions. Plant Soil 309:119–130

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Martikainen PJ (1985) Nitrous oxide emission associated with autotrophic ammonium oxidation in acid coniferous forest soil. Appl Environ Microbiol 50:1519–1525

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Meisinger JJ, Jokela WE (2000) Ammonia volatilization from dairy and poultry manure. In: Managing nutrients and pathogens from animal agriculture. Natural Resource, Agriculture, and Engineering Service (NRAES). Ithaca, New York, pp 334–354

  • Menendez S, Merino P, Pinto M, Murua-Gonzalez C, Estavillo JM (2009) Effect of N-(n-butyl) thiophosphoric triamide and 3, 4 Dimethylpyrazole phosphate on gaseous emissions from grasslands under different soil water contents. J Environ Qual 38:27–35

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Panetta DM, Powers WJ, Lorimor JC (2005) Management strategy impacts on ammonia volatilization from swine manure. J Environ Qual 34:1119–1130

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pereira J, Barneze AS, Misselbrook TH, Coutinho J, Moreira N, Trindade H (2013) Effects of a urease inhibitor and aluminium chloride alone or combined with a nitrification inhibitor on gaseous N emissions following soil application of cattle urine. Biosyst Eng 115:369–407

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Petersen SO, Andersen AJ, Eriksen J (2012) Effects of cattle slurry acidification on ammonia and methane evolution during storage. J Environ Qual 41:88–94

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rochette P, Angers DA, Chantigny MH, MacDonald JD, Gasser MO, Bertrand N (2009) Reducing ammonia volatilization in a no-till soil by incorporating urea and pig slurry in shallow bands. Nutr Cycl Agroecosyst 84:71–80

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rotz CA (2004) Management to reduce nitrogen losses in animal production. J Anim Sci 82:E119–E137

    Google Scholar 

  • Saggar S, Bolan NS, Bhandral R, Hedley CB, Luo J (2004) A review of emissions of methane, ammonia, and nitrous oxide from animal excreta deposition and farm effluent application in grazed pasture. N Z J Agric Res 47:513–544

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Saggar S, Singh J, Giltrap DL, Zaman M, Luo J, Rollo M, Kim D-G, Rys G, van der Weerden TJ (2013) Quantification of reductions in ammonia emissions from fertilizer urea and animal urine in grazed pastures with urease inhibitors for agriculture inventory: New Zealand as a case study. Sci Total Environ 456:136–146

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sanz-Cobena A, Sánchez-Martín L, García-Torres L, Vallejo A (2012) Gaseous emissions of N2O and NO and NO3 − leaching from urea applied with urease and nitrification inhibitors to a maize (Zea mays) crop. Agric Ecosyst Environ 149:64–73

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Schilke-Gartley K, Sims J (1993) Ammonia volatilization from poultry manure-amended soil. Biol Fertil Soils 16:5–10

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sharpe RR, Harper LA (1997) Ammonia and nitrous oxide emissions from sprinkler irrigation application of swine effluent. J Environ Qual 26:1703–1706

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sharpley AN, Meisinger JJ, Breeuwsma A, Sims T, Daniel TC, Schepers JS (1998) Impacts of animal manure management on ground and surface water quality. In: Hatfield J (ed) Effective management of animal waste as a soil resource. Ann Arbor, Chelsea, pp 173–242

    Google Scholar 

  • Sherlock RR, Sommer SG, Khan RZ, Wood CW, Guertal EA, Freney JR, Dawson CO, Cameron KC (2002) Emission of ammonia, methane and nitrous oxide from pig slurry applied to a pasture in New Zealand. J Environ Qual 31:1491–1501

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Singh J, Kunhikrishnan A, Bolan NS, Saggar S (2013) Impact of urease inhibitor on ammonia and nitrous oxide emissions from temperate pasture soil cores receiving urea fertilizer and cattle urine. Sci Total Environ 465:56–63

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Smith KA, Chambers BJ (1995) Muck from waste to resource utilisation: the impacts and implications. Agric Eng 50:33–38

    Google Scholar 

  • Smith KA, Charles DR, Moorhouse D (2000) Nitrogen excretion by farm livestock with respect to land spreading requirements and controlling nitrogen losses to ground and surface waters. Part 2: pigs and poultry. Bioresour Technol 71:183–194

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sommer SG, Olesen JE (1991) Effects of dry matter content and temperature on ammonia loss from surface-applied cattle slurry. J Environ Qual 20:679–683

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Suter H, Sultana H, Turner D, Davies R, Warlker C, Chen D (2013) Influence of urea fertilizer formulation, urease inhibitor and season on ammonia loss from ryegrass. Nutr Cycl Agroecosyst 95:175–185

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Svensson L (1994) A new dynamic chamber technique for measuring ammonia emissions from land-spread manure and fertilizers. Acta Agric Scand Sect B Soil Plant Sci 44:35–46

    Google Scholar 

  • van der Weerden T, Luo J, Dexter M (2014) Mitigating greenhouse gas emissions from stored cattle manure by amending with straw or sawdust. J Environ Qual (under review)

  • Waston CJ, Akhonzada NA, Hamilton JTG, Matthews DI (2008) Rate and mode of application of the urease inhibitor N-(n-Butyl) thiophosphoric triamide on ammonia volatilization from surface-applied urea. Soil Use Manag 24:246–253

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Watson CJ, Poland P, Allen MBD (1998) The efficacy of repeated applications of the urease inhibitor N-(n-butyl) thiophosphoric triamide for improving the efficiency of urea fertilizer utilization on temperate grassland. Grass Forage Sci 53:137–145

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Whalen SC (2000) Nitrous oxide emission from an agricultural soil fertilized with liquid swine waste or constituent. Soil Sci Soc Am J 64:781–789

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zaman M, Blennerhassett JD (2010) Effects of the different rates of urease and nitrification inhibitors on gaseous emissions of ammonia and nitrous oxide, nitrate leaching and pasture production from urine patches in an intensive grazed pasture system. Agric Ecosyst Environ 136:236–246

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zaman M, Matsushima M, Chang SX, Inubushi K, Nguyen ML, Goto S, Kaneko F, Yoneyama T (2004) Nitrogen mineralization, N2O production and soil microbiological properties as affected by long-term applications of sewage sludge composts. Biol Fertil Soils 40:101–109

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zaman M, Zaman S, Nguyen ML, Smith TJ, Nawaz S (2013) The effect of urease and nitrification inhibitors on ammonia and nitrous oxide emissions from simulated urine patches in pastoral system: a two-year study. Sci Total Environ 465:97–106

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Ballance Agri-Nutrients Limited for proving the funding and the New Zealand Government through the Livestock Emissions & Abatement Research Network (LEARN) scholarship programme.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, 110016, Liaoning, China

    Jie Li & Yuanliang Shi

  2. University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China

    Jie Li

  3. Ruakura Research Centre, AgResearch Limited, Private Bag 3123, Hamilton, New Zealand

    Jie Li, Jiafa Luo, David Houlbrooke, Stewart Ledgard, Anwar Ghani & Stuart Lindsey

Authors
  1. Jie Li
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Yuanliang Shi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Jiafa Luo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. David Houlbrooke
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Stewart Ledgard
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Anwar Ghani
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Stuart Lindsey
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jie Li.

Additional information

Responsible editor: Weijin Wang

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Li, J., Shi, Y., Luo, J. et al. Effects of form of effluent, season and urease inhibitor on ammonia volatilization from dairy farm effluent applied to pasture. J Soils Sediments 14, 1341–1349 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-014-0887-3

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-014-0887-3

Keywords

Search

Navigation