High Water Regime Can Reduce Ammonia Volatilization from Soils under Potato Production

Authors

Guodong Liu, University of Florida
Yuncong Li, University of FloridaFollow
A. K. Alva, USDA-ARS

Date of this Version

2007

Comments

Published in Communications in Soil Science and Plant Analysis, 38: 1203–1220, 2007. DOI: 10.1080/00103620701328289

Abstract

This research was conducted with Biscayne marl soil and Krome gravelly loam from Florida and Quincy fine sand and Warden silt loam from Washington to determine ammonia (NH₃) volatilization at various temperature and soil water regimes. Potassium nitrate (KNO₃), ammonium nitrate (NH₄NO₃), ammonium sulfate [(NH₄)₂SO₄], or urea were applied to the soil at a rate of 75 kg N ha^-1. Soil water regime was maintained at either 20% or 80% of field capacity (FC) and incubated at 11, 20, or 29 °C, which represented the minimum, average, and maximum temperatures, respectively, during the potato growing season in Washington. Results indicated that the ammonia volatilization rate at 20% FC soil water regime was two- to three-fold greater than that at 80% FC. The cumulative volatilization loss over 28 days was up to 25.7%. Results of this study demonstrated that ammonia volatilization was accelerated at low soil water regimes.