The document describes measuring ammonia losses due to volatilisation while spreading organic fertilisers in permanent grassland and methods to reduce these losses. The control of ammonia losses during manure spreading is a legal requirement under the NEC directive, as 93% of ammonia emissions are attributed to agriculture. Ammonia losses harm the environment and represent an economic loss of potentially available nitrogen. The factor influencing ammonia losses increases when the equilibrium between ammonia (NH3) and ammonium (NH4+) shifts towards more NH3, which are determined by the state and characteristics of the slurry, weather conditions during and after spreading, soil conditions, and spreading techniques. The research used a system of aerodynamic tunnels to measure ammonia losses after slurry spreading. Weather conditions play a crucial role in ammonia emissions during slurry spreading. The most effective way to reduce ammonia losses is to spread manure in cool, rainy, and calm weather. Different spreading techniques, e.g., oscillating nozzles or trailing shoe applicators, can also minimise losses by reducing the slurry's contact with air. Various treatments, such as aeration, acidification, and additive use, can minimise ammonia losses. Each method has its mode of action and effectiveness, with some being more cost-effective or practical than others.
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It summarises the reports from all Cross Visits. During the Cross Visits the AgriSpin team gradually learned how to capture what really matters in the cases that were visited. It is important that the characteristics in the overview are helpful for: ● deepening the understanding of the individual cases and the effect of particular innovation support actions; ● making comparisons between cases, even though they represent different sectors and cover different types of innovation.
What can support services do to stimulate innovations at farm level? This is the central question in AgriSpin. The Cross Visits aim at collecting information about innovations that have taken place or that are in progress. The members of the visiting team are predominantly support agents themselves, which allows for vivid exchanges of experiences. A cross visit creates space for intensive informal interactions between colleagues from different corners of Europe. This provides a basis for continuous contacts after the project.
The inspirational booklet is a guide. It offers a collection of examples of good working practices involving different types of actors such as advisors, researchers, technology suppliers, retailers, civil society groups and administrators. The examples are from the 12 different European countries participating in the AgriSpin project and represent different stages of an innovation process. The booklet also presents some tools and lessons learned, which can help the innovator better understand the innovation process in order to anticipate possible pitfalls.