It is the least expensive form of commercial fertilizer N because it does not require additional processing after production, labor in handling is minimized, and transportation cost per unit of N is less than for other N sources. On the other hand, application equipment is specialized and relatively expensive, and the NH 3 must be injected into the soil which increases the energy required and application costs.
Anhydrous ammonia is the most widely used source of N for direct application in the United States.
It has not been used extensively in Florida because research conducted during the 1950's indicated relatively large volatile losses during its application to sandy soil. Even when higher rates of anhydrous ammonia are applied to compensate for losses due to volatilization, this source of N may still be the least expensive N source. A brief review of existing data on anhydrous ammonia will permit Florida extension agents, fertilizer dealers, and farm managers to make more intelligent decisions with respect to use of this N source. Florida Research Results Experiments with anhydrous ammonia were conducted on several coarse-textured mineral soils. Both perennial forage crops and clean-cultivated annual crops were grown.