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Abstract
A major concern of the broiler industry is the volatilization of ammonia (NH3) from
the mixture of bedding material and broiler excretion that covers the floor of broiler
houses. Gypsum has been proposed as a litter amendment to reduce NH3 volatilization,
but reports of NH3 abatement vary among studies and the mechanism responsible for
decreasing NH3 volatilization is not well understood. The goal of this study was to
evaluate the effect of adding 20 or 40% flue-gas desulfurization gypsum (FGDG) to
broiler litter on pH, electrical conductivity (EC), water potential, urea-degrading
bacteria abundance, NH3 and carbon dioxide (CO2) evolution, and nitrogen (N) mineralization
in several 21-d experiments. The addition of FGDG to broiler litter increased EC by
24 to 33% (P < 0.0001), decreased urea-degrading bacteria by 48 to 57% (P = 0.0001)
and increased N mineralization by 10 to 11% (P = 0.0001) as compared to litters not
amended with FGDG. Furthermore, the addition of FGDG to broiler litter decreased NH3
volatilization by 18 to 28% (P < 0.0001), potentially resulting from the significantly
lower litter pH values compared to un-amended litter (P < 0.0001). Findings of this
study indicate that amending broiler litter with 20% FGDG can decrease NH3 volatilization
and increase the fertlizer value of broiler litter.