Effect of Meteorological Parameters on Ammonia Loss from Manure in the Field

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Abstract
A micrometeorological flux measuring technique was used to determine ammonia (NH3) volatilization from surface‐applied swine (Sus scrofa) and dairy (Bos taurus) manure under precipitation‐free June to October weather conditions. An attempt to correlate observed volatilization rates of NH3 to single meteorological parameters such as windspeed, temperature, net radiation, etc. was inconclusive insofar as these variables are not independent under field conditions; correlations with windspeed and net radiation appeared generally high. An approximate linear relationship was obtained, however, between applied total N or ammoniacal‐N and NH3 flux within the meteorological conditions encountered during the experiments. This is consistent with the assumption that volatilization from liquid manure is primarily determined by the drying rate of the manure insofar as partial pressure of NH3 is the primary parameter determining volatilization. A derived meteorological variable such as the hay drying index already used in some network agrometeorological forecasts may thus be the most suitable single indicator of high‐volatilization weather conditions.