Proper management can minimize nitrogen losses during land application of swine manure.
The amount of time the manure remains on the surface of the soil is a critical factor, but others play a role as well. The first factor is the percentage of nitrogen that is in ammonia form, because ammonia is the only form that is lost through volatilization. The remaining nitrogen in manure is organic, which is not lost during land application. The organic N will remain. In a slurry pit with 10 percent solids, ammonia nitrogen would make up about two-thirds of the total nitrogen.