Influence of Pig Slurry Application Techniques on Soil CO2, N2O, and NH3 Emissions

Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from agricultural soils can accelerate climate change, therefore, different soil fertilization techniques should be assessed before application to reduce GHG emissions. Pig slurry applications can greatly influence soil carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrous oxide (N2O), and ammonia (NH3) emissions of arable fields; thus, it is important to find site-specific techniques to lessen any negative environmental impacts. In this study, we examined the short-term effect of pig slurry application techniques of spreading and injection on soil greenhouse gas and NH3 emissions under different irrigation amounts. We used the dynamic chamber method with in-situ gas analyzers. Our study showed that there were elevated emissions during the first week after slurry application; however, the difference between GHG emissions of spreading and injection treatments were not significant. Elevated GHG emissions (213-338% and 250-594% in the case of CO2 and N2O emissions, respectively) were observed under dry circumstances compared to irrigated treatments, as well as significantly higher NH3 emissions occurred for surface spreading under non-irrigated (dry) circumstances compared to other treatments. There were no statistically significant differences between the soil chemistry of different application techniques. However, pig slurry increased the available nitrogen forms (ammonium- and nitrate-nitrogen), which caused N2O and NH3 peaks regardless of treatment type. Leachate chemistry was more affected by irrigation strategies than application techniques. Our study highlights the importance of soil conditions at the time of application, rather than the application technique for fertilization using pig slurry.

Automated summary

Greenhouse gas emissions from agricultural soils can accelerate climate change. This study examines the short-term effects of different pig slurry application techniques on soil greenhouse gas and ammonia emissions under different irrigation amounts. The study finds that there is an increase in emissions after slurry application, but the difference between spreading and injection techniques is not significant. Dry conditions lead to higher greenhouse gas emissions and surface spreading without irrigation leads to significantly higher ammonia emissions. The study concludes that soil conditions at the time of application are more important than the application technique for fertilization.