Ammonia Volatilization

With the phasing out of ammonium nitrate as a fertilizer source of nitrogen, and increased reliance on urea fertilizers, producers need to better understand how ammonia volatilization (loss of nitrogen to the air as ammonia gas) from urea may occur in their soils. Many factors affect ammonia volatilization, such as fertilizer placement, soil temperature, soil moisture, wind, precipitation and soil pH. These articles and presentations explain this process and how producers might minimize nitrogen loss from volatilization. MSU research on ammonia volatilization from urea fertilizer is available at the ammonia volatilization webpage.

Presentations/Videos

• Ammonia Volatilization: Process, Contributing Factors, Effect on Yield and Protein, Management to Minimize
• Management Practices to Minimize Volatilization, Moccasin, 2014
• Ammonia Volatilization: Process, Factors Affecting, and Yield Effects, MABA/MGEA, 2006

Publications

• Recovery of Surface Applied Urea is Maximized Through Spring Application and Agrotain Use (2017 MSU College of Agriculture Research Report)
• Reducing N Fertilizer Loss to Air (The Soil Scoop)
• Factors Affecting Nitrogen Fertilizer Volatilization (EB0208)
• Management to Minimize Nitrogen Fertilizer Volatilization (EB0209)
• Minimizing urea volatilization in cool semi-arid regions  (Nov. 2012 issue of Crops & Soils). The article is available for free to American Society of Agronomy members and to Certified Crop Advisers as a CEU under the Nutrient Management section.
• Nitrogen Recovery from Broadcast Urea is Affected by Application Timing and Agrotain (Fertilizer Facts No. 71)
• Ammonia loss from surface-applied urea to cold soils: A second look (Fertilizer Facts No. 70)
• Mitigation of Ammonia Loss from Urea Applied to Moist Soils by Agrotain® (Fertilizer Facts No. 60)
• Ammonia Loss from Urea Surface-applied to Cold Soils (Fertilizer Facts No. 59)
• Management of Urea Fertilizers (Kansas State University Bulletin) - valid chemistry but some obsolete recommendations
• MSU Ammonia Volatilization webpage

Research Reports

• WSARE Final Report 2014 - Minimizing ammonia-N loss from no-till cropping systems
• WSARE Annual Report 2011 - Minimizing ammonia-N losses from no-till cropping systems