The effects of grassland management on nitrogen losses from grazed swards through ammonia volatilization; the relationship to excretal N returns from cattle

Abstract

Ammonia (NH3)-N fluxes from three swards, grazed by cattle and with different N managements, were measured using the mass balance micrometeorological method after a 7-day grazing period in the spring of 2 years. At the same time the impact of the sward managements on N returns in dung and urine was examined in housed animals and the effects of the changes in excreted returns on NH3-N losses examined. The treatments were ryegrass swards receiving either 420 or 210 kg N/ha per year, and a mixed ryegrass/white clover sward receiving no mineral N. There was little difference in the faecal N returns between treatments but there were differences in the N returned in urine, thus 74, 60 and 56% of the excreted returns from 420 N, 210 N or grass/clover treatments, respectively, were in urine. The fluxes of NH3-N from the grazed swards were greatest whilst the animals were present and there were large differences between treatments, the ratio of total NH3 losses from 420 N grass to those from 210 N grass and grass/lover being 7·8:1. The NH3-N losses were equivalent (i) to 12,5 and 7 % of the urinary N returns to 420 N, 210 N grass and grass/clover swards, or alternatively (ii) to 9 and 3% of the fertilizer addition to 420 and 210 N swards and 3% of the estimated rate of N2 fixation in the grass/clover sward. Throughout the investigation there was little difference between the effects with the 210 N grass swards and those with grass/clover.