Slurry field management and ammonia emissions under M editerranean conditions

In S pain, farmers are interested in applying pig ( S us scrofa domesticus ) slurry ( PS ) to their fields throughout the year. During the spring and summer months, ammonia ( NH 3 ) volatilization may be high. We studied the potential range of NH 3 losses under a warm and a hot period of the year, using available field practices, and two strategies: PS directly incorporated into the soil, in spring ( I ‐spring); and PS applied by splash‐plate, in summer time ( SP ‐summer), both to bare soil. Measurements were conducted, after PS application, using the micrometeorological mass balance integrated horizontal flux method. The cumulative NH 3 ‐N volatilization was 35% ( I ‐spring) and 60% ( SP ‐summer) of total ammonium nitrogen applied, and half of the total NH 3 ‐N losses happened by 17 h and 8 h, respectively, after application. Incorporation strategy was less effective in avoiding NH 3 losses than is described in the literature. This fact has important consequences for the implementation of NH 3 mitigation measures in M editerranean agricultural systems.