The Role of Locally Derived Effective Microorganisms in Reducing Ammonia Volatilization from Soil and Its Potentiality to Enhance the Nitrogen Mineralization.

Reducing ammonia losses and improving nitrogen mineralization could help improve N use efficiency of animal manures. The objective of the study was to determine if locally derived effective microorganisms (LEMs) reduce ammonia volatilization or enhance potential nitrogen mineralization in two cropping systems: A) Ryegrass/Fallow/Wheat/Edamame system (Treatments- swine effluent (SE) only, SE+LEM and SE+F-LEM) and broiler litter only (BL), BL+LEM and BL+F-LEM) and B) Cereal Rye/Edamame/Wheat/Edamame system (Glycine max) (Treatments- broiler litter only (BL), BL+LEM and BL+F-LEM). There were 33% and 28% reduction in nitrogen loss as ammonia from annual ryegrass plots in the first and second year of the study, respectively, from the LEM inoculated plots compared to SE treatment (P<0.10). From the edamame plots, in first year and second year, the reduction in nitrogen loss as ammonia was also lower from the LEM treatments compared to BL-only, 68% and 80% (P<0.05), respectively. Nitrogen mineralization in Ryegrass/Fallow/Wheat/Edamame system, when compared to baseline increased significantly (P <0.05) in the LEM treated plots. In the Cereal Rye/Edamame/Wheat/Edamame system, nitrogen mineralization increased over time when compared to baseline (P <0.05). The amidase enzyme activity was measured in the Cereal Rye/Edamame/Wheat/Edamame system and found to be lower compared to the baseline. In the SE USA, while LEM may more consistently enhance N mineralization in a summer soybean cropping system than in a winter forage system, LEM consistently reduced ammonia volatilization in both systems.