Relationships between ammonia volatilization and nitrogen fertilizer application rate,intake and excretion of herbage nitrogen by cattle on grazed swards

Grazed pastures emit ammonia (NH₃) into the atmosphere; the size of the NH₃ loss appears to be related to nitrogen (N) application rate.The micrometeorological mass balance method was used to measure NH₃ volatilization from rotationally grazed swards on three plots in the autumn of 1989 and throughout the 1990 growing season. The aim of the research was to derive a mathematical relationship between NH₃ volatilization and N application rate, which would vary between soil type and weather conditions. In both years the plots received a total of 250, 400 or 550 kg N ha^–1 as calcium ammonium nitrate (CAN) split over 6 to 8 dressings. The number of grazing cycles ranged from 7 to 9 for the three N plots.In the last two grazing cycles of 1989, NH₃ losses were 3.8, 12.0 and 14.7 kg N ha^–1 for the 250N, 400N and 550N plots, which was equivalent to 5.3%, 13.9% and 14.4% of the amount of N excreted on the sward, respectively. In 1990, NH₃ losses were 9.1, 27.0 and 32.8 kg N ha^–1 for the 250N, 400N and 550N plots, which was equivalent to 3.3%, 6.9% and 6.9% of the N excreted, respectively. Differences in urine composition between the plots were relatively small. Rainfall and sward management affected the size of the NH₃ volatilization rate. Volatilization of NH₃ was related to N excretion and N application rate.A calculation procedure is given to enable the estimation of NH₃ volatilization from N application rate. Adjustments can be made for grazing efficiency, grazing selectivity, N retention in milk and liveweight gain, concentrate N intake and milking duration. Losses of NH₃ increase progressively with an increase in N application rate until herbage yield reaches a maximum at an application rate of about 500 kg N ha^–1 yr^–1.