1. Simulated management effects on ammonia emissions from field applied manure
- Author
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Smith, E., Gordon, R., Bourque, C., Campbell, A., Genermont, S., Rochette, P., and Mkhabela, M.
- Subjects
Air quality management -- Analysis ,Rain and rainfall -- Analysis ,Soil acidity -- Analysis ,Ammonia -- Analysis ,Universities and colleges -- Analysis ,Strategic planning (Business) -- Analysis ,Company business management ,Environmental issues - Abstract
To link to full-text access for this article, visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2009.01.012 Byline: E. Smith (a)(b), R. Gordon (a), C. Bourque (b), A. Campbell (c), S. Genermont (d), P. Rochette (e), M. Mkhabela (a) Abbreviations: NH.sub.3, ammonia; RMSE, root mean squared error; PE, Prince Edward Island; NS, Nova Scotia; PQ, Quebec Abstract: A need exists to improve the utilization of manure nutrients by minimizing NH.sub.3 emissions from land application of manure. Management strategies to reduce NH.sub.3 emissions are available; however, few have been validated under Canadian conditions. A well tested and accurate simulation model, however, can help overcome this challenge by determining appropriate management strategies for a given set of field conditions. The Volt'Air simulation model was utilized to estimate NH.sub.3 volatilization from manure spreading for various manure spreading considerations under a range of atmospheric conditions typically encountered in eastern Canada. Considerations included: (i) soil liming, (ii) time of day of manure spreading, (iii) rainfall (timing and amount) and (iv) manure incorporation (timing, depth and manure coverage). Results demonstrated that liming to increase soil pH, increased NH.sub.3 emissions by 3.3kg ha.sup.-1 for each increment of 0.1 pH (up to a 1.5 total increase), over no liming at 34.6kg ha.sup.-1. For each hour delay in manure spreading past 0800h, NH.sub.3 losses were reduced by 1.5kg ha.sup.-1. Rainfall (10mm) at least 20h after manure application reduced losses, with increased reductions at higher rainfall amounts. Incorporation soon (1h) after application was best for NH.sub.3 mitigation. Increasing the depth of incorporation by 5cm reduced NH.sub.3 emissions by 4.4kg ha.sup.-1; also increasing manure coverage by incorporation reduced losses by 2kg ha.sup.-1 for each 10% increase in coverage, compared to surface application at 34.6kg ha.sup.-1. This investigation using Volt'Air yielded valuable information about simulating manure management strategies and the magnitude of their effects on NH.sub.3 emissions. Author Affiliation: (a) Engineering Department, Nova Scotia Agricultural College, PO Box 550, Truro, Nova Scotia, B2N 5E3, Canada (b) Faculty of Forestry and Environmental Management, The University of New Brunswick, PO Box 4400, Fredericton, New Brunswick, E3B 5A3, Canada (c) Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Crop and Livestock Research Center, 440 University Avenue, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, C1A 4N6, Canada (d) Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, Unite de Recherches en Bioclimatologie, 78850 Thiverval-Grignon, France (e) Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, 2560, Boul Hochelaga, Quebec City, Quebec, G1V 2J3, Canada Article History: Received 12 February 2008; Revised 18 December 2008; Accepted 21 January 2009
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- 2009