Effect of Manure Treatment on Ammonia and Greenhouse Gases Emissions Following Surface Application

Sun, F.; Harrison, J. H.; Ndegwa, P. M.; Johnson, K.

Effect of Manure Treatment on Ammonia and Greenhouse Gases Emissions Following Surface Application

2014

Sun, F. | Harrison, J. H. | Ndegwa, P. M. | Johnson, K.

A 3-year study was conducted to determine the effects of anaerobic digestion (AD), large particle solids, and manure additive (More Than Manure, MTM™) on ammonia (NH₃) and greenhouse gas (GHG; carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, and methane) emissions when raw and treated manure were surface-applied. The presence of large particle solids resulted in greater NH₃ emissions, probably, due to reduced infiltration of liquid manure into soil (P < 0.05). Anaerobic digestion did not have a consistent effect on NH₃ emission. Manure with greater ammoniacal nitrogen (AN) concentrations had significantly greater NH₃ loss after manure application (P < 0.05). Anaerobic digestion of manure also did not have a significant effect on GHG flux (P > 0.05). Raw manure with large particle solids had significantly greater CO₂ flux than the other raw manure treatments on the day of manure application (P < 0.05). There was no significant manure treatment effects (P > 0.2) on methane flux over the 3-day period after manure application. The manure additive MTM™ did not have significant effects (P > 0.05) on NH₃ and GHG fluxes. The results of this study suggest that solids and AN concentrations in manure are the most important factors affecting NH₃ emissions after surface application.

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