The Effect of Rates of Application of Ammonium Sulfate on Gaseous Losses of Nitrogen from Soils

Additions of (NH 4 ) 2 SO 4 to a sandy loam at concentrations corresponding to those that might be found in band applications resulted in losses of 0 to 30% of the added nitrogen in forms other than ammonia. In these studies of limed and unlimed soils, where the pH values were in the range of 4.7 to 6.9, the losses increased with increase in ammonium sulfate additions and were greater on limed than on unlimed soil. Losses of ammonia by volatilization from the soils during incubation periods of 6 to 10 weeks were negligible. Losses of ammonia during air‐drying of these soils following incubation and prior to analysis were also negligible in the absence of lime, but were as high as 15% on soils limed to pH 6.7 and receiving the largest amount of (NH 4 ) 2 SO 4 . Gaseous losses of nitrogen from two silt loams were much smaller than from the sandy loam.