Reducing ammonia emissions and volatile fatty acids in poultry litter with liquid aluminum chloride

Abstract

This study was a pen trial in which the effects of adding different rates of liquid aluminum chloride (AlCl3) on litter pH, total volatile fatty acids (VFAs), and ammonia (NH3) fluxes was evaluated. Liquid AlCl3 treatments used in this study were sprayed on the rice hull surface at rates of 100 g, 200 g, and 300 g liquid AlCl3/kg rice hulls; untreated rice hulls served as controls. Litter pH, total VFAs, and NH3 fluxes were all lowered (P< 0.05) by all of the liquid AlCl3 treatments compared with controls during certain times of the 5 week study. However, there were no significant differences among treatments on litter pH at the end of the study (from 3 to 5 weeks) or NH3 fluxes at beginning of the study (0 to 3 weeks). Total VFAs were reduced 16 %, 29 %, and 53 % by 100 g liquid AlCl3/kg rice hulls, 200 g liquid AlCl3/kg rice hulls, and 300 g liquid AlCl3/kg rice hulls, respectively. Liquid AlCl3additions reduced NH3 fluxes by 35 %, 57 % and 67 %, respectively, at the low, medium and high rates. In summary, these results indicate that adding liquid aluminum chloride to rice hulls would be a useful tool in reducing the negative environmental impact of poultry litter. It should be noted that the decreased VFA production and NH3 volatilization was chiefly associated with reduction in litter pH.