February 2, 2010 – Alberta
Agriculture and Rural Development has a new web-based tool for calculating
ammonia losses from a liquid manure land application.
February 2, 2010 – Alberta
Agriculture and Rural Development has a new web-based tool for calculating
ammonia losses from a liquid manure land application.
“The new calculator
estimates ammonia emissions based on manure and soil characteristics, weather
conditions (e.g. temperature and wind speed), and manure application
techniques,” says Dr. Atta Atia, air quality specialist. “It also estimates the
economic value of the ammonia losses by converting it into the fertilizer
nitrogen cost.”
By entering the manure
characteristics, soil condition, land size, weather, and application
techniques, the user will obtain the results of estimated ammonia losses and
dollar value. The user can modify these inputs to instantly see the effects of
individual factors on the estimated ammonia loss and corresponding dollar
value.
“Ammonia emission during
manure application represents a significant source of air pollution as well as
the loss of potential nitrogen for crop production,” says Atia. “It’s estimated
that up to 35 percent of the whole-farm ammonia losses may occur during manure
land application. Therefore, estimation of ammonia loss from manure land
application is beneficial to assess ammonia conservation techniques, improve
nutrient management recommendations, and to help users choose an environmental
friendly and economically method to apply manure on land.”
The Ammonia Losses from
Liquid Manure Applications Calculator is available by clicking here.
