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Effects of Dry Matter Content and Temperature on Ammonia Loss from Surface‐Applied Cattle Slurry
Author(s) -
Sommer S. G.,
Olesen J. E.
Publication year - 1991
Publication title -
journal of environmental quality
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.888
H-Index - 171
eISSN - 1537-2537
pISSN - 0047-2425
DOI - 10.2134/jeq1991.00472425002000030029x
Subject(s) - dry matter , slurry , chemistry , volatilisation , hordeum vulgare , organic matter , water content , ammonia , zoology , ammonia volatilization from urea , agronomy , poaceae , environmental science , environmental engineering , biology , geotechnical engineering , organic chemistry , engineering
Effects of increasing dry matter content in slurry on NH 3 loss was measured with a wind tunnel system, whereby parameters affecting the volatilization can be estimated under controlled conditions. The effect of dry matter content on NH 3 loss was measured using a slurry adjusted to different contents of dry matter. The slurry was prepared by mixing the fibrous and liquid fractions of a mechanically separated cattle slurry. Slurry was applied to a 5 cm high grass ley ( Lolium multiflorum Lam.) and to barley ( Hordeum vulgare L.) at a rate of 3 L m −2 . The content of dry matter varied from 0.9 to 22%, total N from 2.9 to 4.9 g N L −1 , TAN (NH 3 + NH −+ 4 ) from 1.6 to 3.0 g N L −1 and pH from 7.0 to 7.9. The results indicated that NH 3 volatilization increased with increasing slurry dry matter content. The accamuiated 6‐d loss ranged from 19 to 100% of applied TAN from slurries having a dry matter content of 0.9 and 15.6%, respectively. The accumulated NH 3 loss after 6 h exposure was linearly related to dry matter content. In the periods of 6 to 12 h, 12 to 24 h and 24 h to 6 d the loss was nonlinearly related to dry matter content. If the results were adjusted for effects of pH and temperature, NH 3 loss tended to be sigmoidally related to content of dry matter in all four periods. Therefore, changes in slurry dry matter content on NH 3 loss seemed to be small if the dry matter content was higher than 12% or lower than 4%.