Thesis supervisor: Zoltán Bozóki
co-supervisor: Edit Mikó
Location of studies (in Hungarian): University of Szeged Abbreviation of location of studies: SZTE
Description of the research topic:
Circulation of anthropogenic nitrogen compounds in Earth’s atmosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere has a wide variety of consequences. it is called the nitrogen cascade. Two of the most important N-pollutants are the nitrous oxide (N2O) and the ammonia (NH3) gases. The release and accumulation of nitrogen compounds into the environment is one of the most serious environmental problems today. Agriculture, including animal husbandry, is the main source of these materials.
Application of manures is one of the most valuable nutrient replacement processes in crop cultivation, as they are complete soil and plant fertilizers, they improve the structure and biological condition of the soil, and they also contain complete nutrients for plants. However, organic fertilizers can lose a significant amount of nitrogen during storage and application. Manure management has an impact on quantity of emissions of ammonia and nitrous oxide. There remains a degree of uncertainty in emission rates of N from different stages of manure management.
The treatment of organic fertilizer largely determines its nitrogen content and loss through ammonia volatilization and nitrous oxide emission. The nitrogen loss of organic fertilizers can reach up to 75%. In addition to nutrient loss, improper manure management, storage and application are harmful to the environment.
The aim of the research is to determine nitrogen loss as the function of animal species, as well as of manure treatment and storage.
In addition to organic manure, the other significant source of ammonia is the volatilization of ammonia from the urine patches on the pasture soil. Quantifying this is also the goal of the PhD work.
The measurements would be accomplished by photoacoustic spectroscopy instruments developed at the University of Szeged.
Required language skills: English Number of students who can be accepted: 2
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