Abstract
The combined application of manure/slurry and synthetic fertilizer (SF) might be a solution to decrease transport and application costs involving those by-products as well as enable access to them in regions where availability is low. Moreover, their joint application can potentially reduce environmental pollution, enlarge the manure benefits to more areas, and enhance the SF efficiency. However, such a strategy might result in increased ammonia emissions when applied to crop residues. Two experiments were implemented to assess ammonia emissions from stubble-covered soil fertilized with manure amended with SF. In Experiment 1 (E1), urea (U) and calcium ammonium nitrate (AN) were applied combined with dairy manure (MAN). In Experiment 2 (E2), urea was combined with acidified pig slurry (APS) and applied just after sowing (T0) or eight days later (T8). The combinations U + MAN and AN + MAN increased the ammonia emissions, while APS decreased the emissions from U, in APS + U combination, by more than 75%. Therefore, manure combined with SF applied on stubble-covered soil should not be recommended. T8 reduced ammonia emissions from U. APS enhanced the efficiency of U, being then an interesting strategy to mitigate ammonia emissions when applied on stubble-covered soil, as in no-tillage.
Highlights
The highest ammonia emissions (p < 0.05) were obwhen manure was amended with both synthetic fertilizers (SF)
This study helps to better comprehend the behavior of the nitrogen from manure and manure amended with SF as well as the consequences of the application on stubble-covered soil of a mixture of urea and acidified slurry applied regarding ammonia emissions
It presents some solutions that can encourage the sustainable use of manure in stubble-covered surfaces, as in no-tillage
Summary
Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. Most of the nitrogen (N) used in crop nutrition comes from mineral/synthetic fertilizers, of which urea is the major source [1,2,3]. The use of manure as fertilizer contributes to the increase in soil organic matter and adds beneficial microbes, besides delivering N and other elements to plants [4]. The transport costs within and between farmlands and greater application rates required in relation to synthetic fertilizers (SF) are some of the limitations related, with slurry fertilization [5]
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