Assessment of Ammonia Volatility from Fall Surface-Applied Liquid Dairy Manure

The main goal of this research is to investigate a management strategy for mitigating ammonia volatility from dairy manure at the time of field application; in particular, surface application with no incorporation. The hypothesis is that application of manure in cooler fall temperatures will slow the rate of ammonia volatilization, making more nitrogen available to cover crops for uptake in the fall or early in the spring. The overall objective of this research is to identify low cost manure management options with which dairy farmers can retain an on-farm nutrient source by reducing ammonia volatility from their manure. This objective will be achieved by studying the effect of temperature on ammonia volatility, and following the nutrient flow of nitrogen found in manure through the cover crop rhizosphere and in cover crop N assimilation.