NITROGEN LOSSES BY DENITRIFICATION AND LEACHING IN GRASSLAND - THE EFFECT OF COW SLURRY APPLICATION

In this study nitrogen losses by denitrification and leaching have bee n quantified in a natural grassland, comparing the losses produced by a mineral fertilization (calcium ammonium nitrate) and an organic fert ilization (cow slurry). It has been stated that in the edafoclimatic c onditions of the Basque Country denitrification losses are more import ant than those produced by leaching, spring and autumn being the seaso ns with a greater risk of losses. These losses are great and immediate ly occurring after mineral fertilization and small but distributed alo ng the time when organic fertilization is applied.