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Ammonia Volatilization and Soil Nitrogen Changes after Urea and Ammonium Nitrate Fertilization of Pinus Taeda L.
Author(s) -
Craig Joseph R.,
Wollum A. G.
Publication year - 1982
Publication title -
soil science society of america journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.836
H-Index - 168
eISSN - 1435-0661
pISSN - 0361-5995
DOI - 10.2136/sssaj1982.03615995004600020040x
Subject(s) - ammonia volatilization from urea , fertilizer , volatilisation , nitrogen , urea , soil water , chemistry , moisture , precipitation , nitrate , ammonium , ammonia , ammonium nitrate , growing season , environmental chemistry , agronomy , environmental science , soil science , physics , organic chemistry , meteorology , biology
From 3.9 to 13.1% of the nitrogen (N) was lost to the atmosphere when 200 kg/ha of N as (NH 2 ) 2 CO were applied to an undisturbed forest soil during each of the four annual seasons. There were no measurable losses from a comparable NH 4 NO 3 treatment. The majority of the loss occurred within the first 2 weeks after fertilizer application. During this time volatilization of NH 3 from the (NH 2 ) 2 CO‐amended soils appeared to depend more on moisture in the soil and time and amount of precipitation after fertilizer application than on season of fertilizer application. Conditions of light precipitation providing adequate moisture for (NH 2 ) 2 CO hydrolysis but insufficient to leach the (NH 2 ) 2 CO resulted in the greatest NH 3 losses. Heavy precipitation leached the urea or NH 3 deeper into the soil profile where it was retained. Although differences were not significant among seasons, winter loss < fall < summer ≃ spring. Precipitation trends and seasonal temperature differences may be responsible for these differences. Ammonium‐N from (NH 2 ) 2 CO remained in the forest floor and top few centimeters of mineral soil. In contrast, the NH 4 + produced by the ionization of NH 4 NO 3 was carried deeper into the soil profile.