Emissions of ammonia (NH 3 ) and nitrous oxide (N 2 O), and nitrate (NO À 3 ) leaching were measured in two field experiments following application of pig slurry at rates corresponding to 83^96 kg NH 4^N ha 71 before sowing. In spring and in autumn1994, slurry was applied by four methods: trenching (T), shallow injection (S), band spreading immediately followed by harrowing (BaH) and band spreading (B). NH 3 emission measurements were made during the first week after application in both experiments. In the spring experiment N 2 O emissions and NO À 3 leaching were measured during 6 and 52 weeks after spreading respectively, and during 11 and 33 weeks after spreading in the autumn experiment. In spring, the increased N 2 O emissions (i.e. control subtracted) ranged from 0.27% (T) to 0.45% (BaH), and in the autumn study from 0.92% (T) to 1.14% (BaH), of applied NH 4^N , although showing no statistically significant differences. In order to validate the chamber measurements, a`megachamber' (21m 2 ) was used together with an infrared spectrometer.The emissions agreed well for (BaH), while (B) resulted in lower emissions compared with the smaller chambers. Emissions of NH 3 were about one order of magnitude higher. In spring, (B) gave the highest emission, reaching 19.5% of applied NH 4N , whereas (S), and (BaH) gave the lowest emissions, reaching 1.2 and 3.5% of applied NH 4^N , respectively. NH 3 emissions in autumn were 15^20% lower compared with spring. In spring the increased nitrate leaching ranged from 10.1 (T) to 24.9 kg ha 71 (BaH) and from 29.5 (B) to 37.8 kg ha 71 (T) in the autumn experiment, showing no statistically significant differences. Estimations of indirect N 2 O emissions due to ammonia deposition and nitrate leaching, suggested that the N 2 O contribution from NH 3 deposition was relatively small, while the indirect N 2 O emissions from NO À 3 leaching were of the same order of magnitude or higher than the direct N 2 O emissions.