Effect of Manure Treatment on Ammonia Emission during Storage under Ambient Environment

Abstract

The effect of anaerobic digestion (AD), coarse solids removal, and a manure additive More Than ManureTM (MTMTM) on ammonia (NH3) emission from raw (Non AD) dairy manure and AD manure was studied during 110 days of storage. The study consisted of eight treatments in duplicate: AD manure and non AD manure, with and without coarse solids, and with and without MTMTM additive. These studies were conducted in a naturally ventilated barn. The nitrogen content of manure, especially the ammoniacal nitrogen, played an important role in NH3 emission. During the first 11 weeks of the storage, AD manure had significantly greater peak (33 to 38 ppm) concentrations of NH3, and NH3 fluxes (94 to 130 μg min−1 m−2) compared to raw manure (14 to 25 ppm and 55 to 81 μg min−1 m−2, respectively). From the 11th week until the end of storage, there was no significant difference in NH3 emissions across the manure treatments. The presence of course solids resulted in significanlty less peak NH3 for non AD manure when data were evaluated for the whole storage period. The manure additive MTMTM did not have a significant effect on NH3 emissions during storage, however, temperature was positively related to NH3 emissions. Total ammoniacal nitrogen and solids concentration in manure was the most important factors affecting NH3 emissions during storage.