If the manure is in liquid or slurry form, much of the ammonium-N should be saved. The amount of liquid applied is often sufficient to bring much of the ammonium into contact with and to become attached to clay and organic matter particles. The loss will still be substantial, but 30 to 50% should be saved, with greater savings at lower temperatures. With feedlot manure, however, it is probable that more and possibly all will be lost unless there is >0.5 inch of rain within two to three days.
Author: Charles Wortmann, Soil Scientist, University of Nebraska
