Use of liquid anhydrous ammonia as a fertilizer
Date
1968Author
Salam, Ali A.
Metadata
Abstract
(1) At rates of 40, 80 units N/ac. in field, experiments and
at rates of 45 , 90, 180 , 720, and 1440 lb. N/ac. in the
greenhouse experiment, sulphate of ammonia proved a better
source of N for grass D.M. yield than anhydrous ammonia
or ammonia solution.
(2) There were toxic effects on plant resulting from NH₃, and
NH₄, OH. On the field effects were seen on grass along
the injection lines; in the greenhouse experiment toxicity
symptoms were pronounced on grass receiving over 180 lb. N/ac.
(3) At 1440 lb. N/ac., some plants failed to emerge and were
killed by NH₃ at or before the seedling stage. In some
pots, 95 plants out of 100 failed to emerge and were killed.
(4) Anhydrous ammonia applied to grassland as well as ammonia
solution applied to ryegrass in pots, underwent a rapid
nitrification as compared with (NH₄)₂ SO₄.
(5) Due to the retarded effect of NH₃ on plants, the greater
release of NO₃ did not benefit plants. The slower release
of NO₃, in the (NH₄)₂SO₄, treatments seemed to be in pace
with plant requirement of N.
(6) Mechanical damage to grass turf caused by anhydrous ammonia
injection was one of the reasons behind the lower yield
obtained from NH₃ as compared with (NH₄)₂SO₄.
(7) In some cases where the soil was stony, NH₃ escaped into
the atmosphere and caused a substantial loss of fertilizer N.
The grass leaves were scorched as a result of coming into
contact with the escaped NH₃.
(8) There was greater loss by leaching NO₃ from, the NH₄ OH
treatments as compared with (NH₄) SO₄ . The difference
between the two sources increased with increasing rate of N.
(9) There was a greater loss of applied N from the NH₄OH, as
compared with (NH₄)₂SO₄ treatments. Soils seemed to
fix more N from NH₄OH than from (NH₄)₂SO₄. Some NH₃ was
lost by volatilization from OH treatments but this
loss was negligible with (NH₄)₂SO₄.