Premium
Gaseous Nitrogen Emissions and Forage Nitrogen Uptake on Soils Fertilized with Raw and Treated Swine Manure
Author(s) -
Chantigny Martin H.,
Angers Denis A.,
Rochette Philippe,
Bélanger Gilles,
Massé Daniel,
Côté Denis
Publication year - 2007
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/jeq2007.0083
Subject(s) - loam , fertilizer , forage , manure , raw material , agronomy , chemistry , nitrogen , phleum , zoology , anaerobic digestion , digestate , soil water , environmental science , methane , biology , organic chemistry , soil science
Treatments to reduce solids content in liquid manure have been developed, but little information is available on gaseous N emissions and plant N uptake after application of treated liquid swine manure (LSM). We measured crop yield, N uptake, and NH 3 and N 2 O losses after the application of mineral fertilizer (NH 4 NO 3 ), raw LSM, and LSM that was decanted, filtered, anaerobically digested, or chemically flocculated. The experiment was conducted from 2001 to 2003 on a loam and a sandy loam cropped to timothy ( Phleum pratense L.) with annual applications equivalent to 80 kg N ha −1 in spring and 60 kg N ha −1 after the first harvest. Raw LSM resulted in NH 3 emissions three to six times larger ( P < 0.05) than mineral fertilizer. The LSM treatments reduced NH 3 emissions by an average of 25% compared with raw LSM ( P < 0.05). The N 2 O emissions tended to be higher with raw LSM than with mineral fertilizer. The LSM treatments had little effect on N 2 O emissions, except for anaerobic digestion, which reduced emissions by >50% compared with raw LSM ( P < 0.05). Forage yield with raw LSM was >90% of that with mineral fertilizer. The LSM treatments tended to increase forage yield and N uptake relative to raw LSM. We conclude that treated or untreated LSM offers an alternative to mineral fertilizers for forage grass production but care must be taken to minimize NH 3 volatilization. Removing solids from LSM by mechanical, chemical, and biological means reduced NH 3 losses from LSM applied to perennial grass.