The experiment was carried out in 2002/03, the Federal University of Santa Maria, State of Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil, in a typic Haoludal under six years of no-tillage to evaluate the effects of black oat residues left at soil surface on ammonia volatilization. The experiment was in a completely randomized design with three replications. The treatments were urea applied with and without surface residue in three times: before seeding; seeding and; topdressing. The urea was spread at a rate of 50kg ha-1 de N each time. The residues reduced the ammonia fluxes, as compared to bare soil, when under residues had higher soil moisture at urea application. On the other hand, when soil moisture for crop residue treatments were similar to bare soil the former had higher ammonia volatilization. When there was rainfall right after urea application, the treatments showed same volatilization flux. Considering the three timing of urea application for corn, the amount of volatilized ammonia was similar to conditions of with and without crop residues adding up 17 % of N-urea applied.
N dynamics; crop residues; corn; loss of N
