SURFACE APPLICATION AND SHALLOW INJECTION OF CATTLE SLURRY ON GRASSLAND - NITROGEN LOSSES, HERBAGE YIELDS AND NITROGEN RECOVERIES

An experiment was carried out over 2 years on grass and grass/clover s wards in SW England to compare herbage yields and N recovery following surface application or shallow injection of cattle slurry at three di fferent times of application. In the second year, losses of N via ammo nia volatilization, denitrification and nitrate leaching were measured from applications to the grass sward. On the grass sward, there was n o significant effect of time or method of application on dry-matter (D M) yield in the first year, although shallow injection reduced apparen t N recovery (ANR) in the herbage by 45% when compared with surface ap plication. In the second year, shallow injection reduced DM yields by 26% and ANR by 48%. On the grass/clover sward, there were no significa nt effects of time or method of application on DM yields or AWR in eit her year. Inclusion of dicyandiamide (DCD) in the October slurry appli cations had no significant effect in the first year, but in the second year on the grass sward increased DM yield by 31% and 14% and ANR by 156% and 42% for shallow injection and surface applications respective ly. Measurements in the second year on the grass award showed a reduct ion in N loss by ammonia volatilization using shallow injection of 40% and 79% for March and June applications respectively. Losses due to d enitrification were greatest following October application, Shallow in jection increased denitrification losses following March application, but there were no significant differences following October or June ap plications. N losses due to leaching were small, with no significant d ifference between treatments. Reasons for the reductions in DM yield a nd ANR following shallow injection, despite the large reduction in N l oss by ammonia volatilization. are discussed.