Ammonia Volatilization, Forage Accumulation, and Nutritive Value of Marandu Palisade Grass Pastures in Different N Sources and Doses
2021
Darlena Caroline da Cruz Corrêa | Abmael da Silva Cardoso | Mariane Rodrigues Ferreira | Débora Siniscalchi | Pedro Henrique de Almeida Gonçalves | Rodolfo Nussio Lumasini | Ricardo Andrade Reis | Ana Cláudia Ruggieri
The reduction in ammonia (NH<sub>3</sub>) losses from volatilization has significant implications in forage production. The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of N fertilizers (urea, ammonium nitrate, and ammonium sulfate) and four doses (0, 90, 180 and 270 kg N ha<sup>−1</sup>) on N losses by NH<sub>3</sub> volatilization, accumulation, and forage chemical composition of <i>Urochloa brizantha</i> cv Marandu. Two field experiments were conducted to measure NH<sub>3</sub> losses using semi-open chambers. The forage accumulation and chemical composition were evaluated in the third experiment; the response variables included forage accumulation, crude protein (CP), and neutral detergent fiber (NDF). Compared to urea, ammonium nitrate and ammonium sulfate reduced NH<sub>3</sub> losses by 84% and 87% and increased total forage accumulation by 14% and 23%, respectively. Forage accumulation rate and CP increased linearly with the N levels, while NDF contents decreased linearly with the N levels. In both experiments, NH<sub>3</sub> losses and forage characteristics were different according to the rainfall pattern and temperature variations. Our results indicate that the use of nitric and ammoniacal fertilizers and the application of fertilizer in the rainy season constitute an efficient fertilizer management strategy to increase forage yield and decrease losses from volatilization of NH<sub>3</sub>.
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