The effect of acidification of pig slurry digestate applied on winter rapeseed on the ammonia emission reduction

The Agriculture is the main source of ammonia emissions. It generates around 75% of global emissions of ammonia to the atmosphere and soil fertilisation accounts for half of agricultural emissions. Ammonia emissions have a negative impact on ecosystems and human health, as it is able to accumulate both as solid particles and as an integral part of acid cases. Measures to reduce ammonia emissions can be divided into three large groups: the first group is ammonia-reducing measures in animal housing, the second group is ammonia-reducing measures during manure storage, and the third group is ammonia-reducing measures during the application of manure. Measurements of ammonia emissions were carried out in the parish of Jaunberze, which took place on 30 April and 1 May 2018. Sulphuric acid was used for acidification of pig slurry digestate. Picarro G2508 was used for on field measurement of ammonia concentrations with 1 second interval, a measurement time of one session was 400 seconds. The volume of the chamber was 60 l and was connected to the Picarro G2508 using a 10 m long Teflon tube. The measurement of ammonia emissions was with three repetitions for each measurement, with a reference error of less than 5%. Emissions were measured at different time intervals: immediately after digestate distribution, 2 hours, 4 hours and the 24 hours after digestate application. The emission of ammonia from digestate without vegetation after 24 hours was 13 kg ha-1, for acidified digestate without vegetation 8.5 kg ha -1, while the acidified digestate with vegetation within 24 hours reached 2.5 kg of ha -1 ammonia emissions, five times lower than that of non-vegetation.