VOLATILIZATION OF AMMONIA FROM SURFACE-FERTILIZED SOILS

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Abstract
Flasks containing 600-g. portions of fertilized and moistened soil were aerated continuously with ammonia-free air, and escaping NH3 was caught in standard H2SO4. Of N added in the form of NH4OH to soils ranging from pH 4.5 to 8, 9-51% was lost; 1-27% was lost from (NH4)2SO4 appld. to the same soils. Below a pH value of 7.2 very little NH3 was lost from added (NH4)2SO4 and NH4NO3. NH4OH applns. raised the pH of the surface of acid soils to the alkaline range and permitted volatilization losses. In a poorly buffered acid soil, NH3 formation from applied urea or dried blood increased the pH sufficiently to allow volatilization of NH3. When applied to well-buffered soils, losses from urea and dried blood were small. Increasing the amt. of ammonium N applied to an alkaline soil did not appreciably affect the percentage lost. The moisture content of the soil had little effect except that evaporation of water was necessary for appreciable volatilization of NH3. Losses increased with temp. increase. More NH3 volatilized from Na and K soils than from Ca and Mg soils.

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