PROPERTIES AND REACTION OF DEEP STABLE CA TTLE MANURES WITH DIFFERENTLY CONDITIONED STRAW LITTER DURING A SECONDARY DECOMPOSITION AND IN THE SOIL

In a deep stable an average of 4.1 kg LAU(-1) d(-1) straw were require d, which was less than it generally was supposed to be. With well-chop ped straw an average of 9.1 % more, but with short-cutted or long stra w 3.9 % respectively 5.3 % less litter was needed. The higher litter r equirement for manure with chopped straw was expressed in higher dry m atter, ash and carbon contents. Nevertheless the C:N ratio was very cl ose. Thus it follows that the ammonia emission in the stable should ha ve been comparably low with chopped straw. The biochemical processes d uring secondary decomposition and incubation with soil were to be expl ained both by the interactions between the microbial availability of c arbon and nitrogen sources. During decomposition, the manure's tempera ture reached maxima between 51.1 degrees C and 71.4 degrees C, and amm onia emissions amounted to 7.8 % to 18.4 % of Ntotal in approximately 15 days. But because of microbial incorporation of NH4+, the correlati ons between characteristics of self heating and ammonia emission were weak (r(2) = 0.181 - 0.259*). In soil (loamy sand), the manurial nitr ogen was biologically immobilized as well. Chopped straw offered a sim ilar carbon availability for both the manurial and the soil microflora . The carbon sources of short-cutted straw were much more available fo r soil microorganisms than for the manurial microflora. On the other h and, the carbon sources of long straw were of better use for the manur ial than for the soil microflora.