title: Release of nitrogen and phosphorus from poultry litter amended with acidified biochar.
abstract: Application of poultry litter (PL) to soil may lead to nitrogen (N) losses through ammonia (NH(3)) volatilization and to potential contamination of surface runoff with PL-derived phosphorus (P). Amending litter with acidified biochar may minimize these problems by decreasing litter pH and by retaining litter-derived P, respectively. This study evaluated the effect of acidified biochars from pine chips (PC) and peanut hulls (PH) on NH(3) losses and inorganic N and P released from surface-applied or incorporated PL. Poultry litter with or without acidified biochars was surface-applied or incorporated into the soil and incubated for 21 d. Volatilized NH(3) was determined by trapping it in acid. Inorganic N and P were determined by leaching the soil with 0.01 M of CaCl(2) during the study and by extracting it with 1 M KCl after incubation. Acidified biochars reduced NH(3) losses by 58 to 63% with surface-applied PL, and by 56 to 60% with incorporated PL. Except for PH biochar, which caused a small increase in leached NH(4) (+)-N with incorporated PL, acidified biochars had no effect on leached or KCl-extractable inorganic N and P from surface-applied or incorporated PL. These results suggest that acidified biochars may decrease NH(3) losses from PL but may not reduce the potential for P loss in surface runoff from soils receiving PL.
authors.affiliation: Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, The University of Georgia, 3111 Miller Plant Sciences Building, Athens, GA 30602, USA. Esdoydora@uga.edu
authors.forename: Sarah A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Doydora
authors.forename: Miguel L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Cabrera
authors.forename: Keshav C
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Das
authors.forename: Julia W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Gaskin
authors.forename: Leticia S
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Sonon
authors.forename: William P
authors.initials: WP
authors.lastname: Miller
mesh_terms: D000641:Ammonia / Q000032:analysis*; D000818:Animals; D002606:Charcoal / Q000737:chemistry*; D008372:Manure; D017672:Nitrogen Compounds / Q000737:chemistry; D017553:Phosphorus Compounds / Q000737:chemistry; D011200:Poultry; D014835:Volatilization; D014876:Water Pollution / Q000517:prevention & control*
chemical_list: D008372:Manure; D017672:Nitrogen Compounds; D017553:Phosphorus Compounds; C540010:biochar; D002606:Charcoal; D000641:Ammonia