Skip to main content
ARS Home » Plains Area » Bushland, Texas » Conservation and Production Research Laboratory » Livestock Nutrient Management Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #165088
Title: APPLICATION RATE AND TIMING EFFECTS ON UREASE INHIBITOR PERFORMANCE FOR MINIMIZING AMMONIA EMISSIONS FROM BEEF CATTLE FEEDYARDS

Author
item PARKER, D.
item PANDRANGI, S.
item GREENE, L.
item ALMAS, L.
item RHOADES, M.
item Cole, Noel
item KOZIEL, J.

Submitted to: American Society of Agricultural Engineers Meetings Papers
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/3/2004
Publication Date: 8/1/2004
Citation: Parker, D.B., Pandrangi, S., Greene, L.W., Almas, L.K., Rhoades, M.B., Cole, N.A., Koziel, J. 2004. Application rate and timing effects on urease inhibitor performance for minimizing ammonia emissions from beef cattle feedyards. American Society for Agricultural Engineers. Paper No. 044080.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: A laboratory study was conducted to evaluate how rate and timing of urease inhibitor application affects ammonia emissions from simulated beef cattle feedyard surfaces. The urease inhibitor N-(n-butyl) thiophosphoric triamide (NBPT) was applied at rates of 1 and 2 kg/ha, at 8, 16, and 32 day frequencies, and with or without simulated rainfall. Synthetic urine was added every 2 days to the manure surface. Ammonia was trapped in a sulfuric acid solution using a vacuum system and analyzed for nitrogen using automated procedures. NBPT applied every 8 days and at 1 and 2 kg/ha resulted in 51.6 and 67.5 percent reduction in ammonia emission rates, respectively. Only the NBPT applied every 8 days was effective in reducing ammonia emissions, indicating that NBPT should be applied every 8 days or less. The 8-day, 1 kg/ha NBPT treatment had the most promising cost-benefit ratio of 1.26. Simulated rainfall had little effect on the performance of NBPT, indicating that moisture content has little effect on NBPT performance.