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Effect of separation and acidification of cattle slurry on ammonia volatilization and on the efficiency of slurry nitrogen for herbage production

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 March 2009

J. P. Frost ,
R. J. Stevens  and
R. J. Laughlin
J. P. Frost
Affiliation:
Agricultural Research Institute of Northern Ireland, Hillsborough, Co. Down, BT26 6DR, UK
R. J. Stevens
Affiliation:
Department of Agriculture for Northern Ireland, Food and Agricultural Chemistry Research Division, Newforge Lane, Belfast, BT9 5PX, UK
R. J. Laughlin
Affiliation:
Department of Agriculture for Northern Ireland, Food and Agricultural Chemistry Research Division, Newforge Lane, Belfast, BT9 5PX, UK
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Summary

During the growing season of 1988 at the Agricultural Research Institute, Hillsborough, cattle slurry was kept whole or was separated through screens with mesh sizes of 5 mm, 3 mm, 0·25 mm and 0·015 mm. The resulting slurry liquids were either left unacidified or were acidified to pH 5.5 with 5M-H2SO4 prior to application at 75 kg NH+4-N/ha to perennial ryegrass in the field. Volatilization of ammonia was measured using ventilated enclosures. Plots treated with a range of rates of inorganic fertilizer N were used to construct response curves to assess the efficiency of N in slurry for herbage production compared with equinitrogenous inorganic fertilizer.

On average over the season, acidification of cattle slurry decreased ammonia volatilization to < 15% of that from unacidified whole slurry. Compared with inorganic fertilizer N, the overall efficiency of NH+4-N was 96% in acidified slurries and 36% in unacidified whole slurry. Ammonia volatilization from separated slurries decreased with decreasing mesh size to 39% of that from whole slurry for a 0·015 mm mesh. The overall efficiency of NH4+-N in slurry separated through a 0·015 mm mesh was 76%. A highly significant linear relationship was found between NH3-N volatilized from all slurry treatments and N offtake in herbage at all three harvests.

Type
Crops and Soils
Information
The Journal of Agricultural Science , Volume 115 , Issue 1 , August 1990 , pp. 49 - 56
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1990

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