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Ammonia Volatilization Following Fertilization with Urea or Ureaform in a Thinned Loblolly Pine Plantation
Author(s) -
Elliot J. Robertson,
Fox Thomas R.
Publication year - 2014
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/sssaj2013.12.0512n
Subject(s) - volatilisation , urea , loblolly pine , human fertilization , ammonia volatilization from urea , fertilizer , pinus <genus> , ammonia , growing season , agronomy , environmental science , nitrogen , chemistry , nitrogen fertilizer , zoology , botany , biology , organic chemistry
Volatilization losses following fertilization with urea or ureaform applied at a rate of 448 kg ha −1 N were measured in a thinned 22‐yr‐old loblolly pine ( Pinus taeda L.) plantation in the Virginia Piedmont. Fertilizer was applied at two different times, winter and summer, and NH 3 volatilization was measured for 29 d using a static chamber method. The majority of the NH 3 volatilization occurred during the first 7 to 9 d following fertilization. Larger amounts of NH 3 were volatilized following fertilization with urea than with ureaform. Following application in the summer, 51% of the applied N was volatilized from urea while only 7% of the applied N was volatilized from ureaform. The amount of N volatilized following urea application in the winter was 18% compared to 11% following ureaform application. This study highlights the risks of N loss through volatilization associated with urea fertilization, especially when it is applied during the growing season. These results also indicate that slow release N fertilizers such as ureaform can decrease volatilization losses following surface application in loblolly pine forest ecosystems and may, therefore, increase N uptake by the trees.