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Title: A Cost Effective Method to Measure Ammonia Volatilization

Author
item PARAMASIVAM, S - SAVANNAH STATE UNIV
item JONES, LEANDRA - SAVANNAH STATE UNIV
item Alva, Ashok
item JAYARAMAN, K - SAVANNAH STATE UNIV

Submitted to: American Society of Agronomy Meetings
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/10/2007
Publication Date: 11/5/2007
Citation: Paramasivam, S., Jones, L., Alva, A.K., Jayaraman, K. 2007. A cost effective method to measure ammonia volatilization. American Society of Agronomy Meetings 2007.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Estimating the magnitude of ammonia (NH3) volatilization losses under different conditions is important for proper fertilizer management. Currently used field techniques to trap volatilized NH3 from soils amended with various N sources and the techniques used for the quantitative determination of NH3 drain substantial financial resources. This justifies the need for the development of cost effective field and laboratory methods to trap and determine the volatilized NH3 quantitatively and accurately. This new method is a modification of currently used two proven passive flux methods. This intended method involves the use of sponge treated with oxalic acid to trap volatilized NH3 and extract NH3 from sponge with de-ionized water and determine NH3 quantitatively by ion chromatograph (IC) technique. This improved method is currently being tested against one of the proven and widely used methods in repeated laboratory experiments with soils amended with various N sources. Results of the evaluation of this improved method proved to be effective for field and laboratory scale determination of NH3 volatilization by reducing cost, labor and analytical requirements without sacrificing accuracy of the measurement of volatilized NH3.