Reducing ammonia emissions and volatile fatty acids in poultry litter with liquid aluminum chloride

摘要

This study was a pen trial in which the effects of adding different rates of liquid aluminum chloride (AICI3) on litter pH, total volatile fatty acids (VFAs), and ammonia (NH_3) fluxes was evaluated. Liquid AICI3 treatments used in this study were sprayed on the rice hull surface at rates of 100 g, 200 g, and 300 g liquid AlCl_3/kg rice hulls; untreated rice hulls served as controls. Litter pH, total VFAs, and NH_3 fluxes were all lowered (P < 0.05) by all of the liquid AICI3 treatments compared with controls during certain times of the 5 week study. However, there were no significant differences among treatments on litter pH at the end of the study (from 3 to 5 weeks) or NH_3 fluxes at beginning of the study (0 to 3 weeks). Total VFAs were reduced 16 %, 29 %, and 53 % by 100 g liquid AlCl_3/kg rice hulls, 200 g liquid AlCl_3/kg rice hulls, and 300 g liquid AlCl_3/kg rice hulls, respectively. Liquid A1C1_3additions reduced NH_3 fluxes by 35 %, 57 % and 67 %, respectively, at the low, medium and high rates. In summary, these results indicate that adding liquid aluminum chloride to rice hulls would be a useful tool in reducing the negative environmental impact of poultry litter. It should be noted that the decreased VFA production and NH_3 volatilization was chiefly associated with reduction in litter pH.