Nitrogen transformations in soil after the addition of pig slurry and pig deep‑litter

Abstract

The objective of this work was to evaluate soil N transformations after the application of pig slurry (PS) and pig deep‑litter (PDL), with and without oat straw, and with and without incorporation into the soil. The evaluated treatments were: soil (S), S + incorporated straw (S + Sti), S + straw on surface (S + Sts), S + incorporated PDL (S + PDLi), S + PDL on surface (S + PDLs), S + incorporated PS (S + PSi), S + PS on surface (S + PSs), S + Sti + Psi, and S + Sts + PSs. The following were evaluated: ammonia volatilization, nitrification and N mineralization of PS and PDL. Incorporation of PS reduced ammonia volatilization in 93% when compared to surface application. The ammoniacal N in PDL was nitrified within the first five days. The net nitrification rate was two times higher with the incorporation of PS into the soil than at surface. Organic N mineralization did not differ with the application methods for PS and PDL to the soil. In PDL, 14.6% N was mineralized, against 34.9% in PS. The application of PS with oat straw to soil surface favors microbial N immobilization but it does not reduce N losses by ammonia volatilization.