Use of nitrification inhibitors to increase fertilizer nitrogen recovery and lint yield in irrigated cotton

Effect of Fertilization with Urea and Inhibitors on Growth, Yield and CBD Concentration of Hemp (Cannabis sativa L.)

Field experiments were conducted during 2019 in two different locations in Greece (Athens and Farsala) to evaluate the effect of urea and urea fertilization with inhibitors on the agronomic yield and quality characteristics of two cannabis varieties (Cannabis sativa L.), “Uso31”and “Fedora 17”. The experimental design was split-plot with four different fertilization treatments—control, Urea (U), urea with Urease Inhibitor (UI), and urea with Nitrification Inhibitor (NI) and urease inhibitor (UI). The significance of differences between treatments was estimated by using Tukey’s test with a significance level of p = 0.05. The plant height was significantly affected by the different fertilizations and different varieties as well as by the two locations. The maximum plant height was 197 cm for “Fedora 17”in Farsala. The seed yield was higher forthe urea with inhibitors treatment in both varieties. The Cannabidiol (CBD) content was significantly affected by the fertilization—it was higher in urea with inhibitors in “Uso31”and “Fedora 17” treatments. The lowest CBD content value was 1.29% (control) and the highest was 1.69% (urea NI + UI). In conclusion, in both varieties, it seems that urea with inhibitors has a positive effect on their growth, as well as on the increase in cannabidiol (CBD) content.

Inhibitory Effects of 3,4-Dimethylpyrazole Phosphate on CH4 and N2O Emissions in Paddy Fields of Subtropical China

3,4-Dimethylpyrazole phosphate (DMPP) has been widely employed to reduce nitrogen leaching and greenhouse gas emissions in the soils of dry farmlands. However, the effects of DMPP on the dynamics of nitrogen in paddy fields remain unclear. For this study, treatments with 0%, 0.25%, 0.5%, 1%, or 1.5% DMPP levels of nitrogen fertilization plus urea were designed to determine the effects on greenhouse gas emissions in paddy fields of subtropical China. All DMPP treatments significantly reduced CH4 and N2O emissions, from 54% to 34%, and 94% to 39%, respectively, compared with a urea fertilizer treatment alone. The soil NH4+ content decreased and NO3- increased more slowly with the application of DMPP. The crop yields under the various DMPP treatments showed no significant difference (p < 0.05). We concluded that the application of 0.5% and 1% DMPP may significantly reduce CH4 and N2O emissions in contrast to other treatments. This has important implications for the maintenance of rice yields, while reducing greenhouse gas emissions in paddy fields.

Nitrapyrin addition mitigates nitrous oxide emissions and raises nitrogen use efficiency in plastic-film-mulched drip-fertigated cotton field

Nitrification inhibitors (NIs) have been used extensively to reduce nitrogen losses and increase crop nitrogen nutrition. However, information is still scant regarding the influence of NIs on nitrogen transformation, nitrous oxide (N₂O) emission and nitrogen utilization in plastic-film-mulched calcareous soil under high frequency drip-fertigated condition. Therefore, a field trial was conducted to evaluate the effect of nitrapyrin (2-chloro-6-(trichloromethyl)-pyridine) on soil mineral nitrogen (N) transformation, N₂O emission and nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) in a drip-fertigated cotton-growing calcareous field. Three treatments were established: control (no N fertilizer), urea (225 kg N ha^-1) and urea+nitrapyrin (225 kg N ha^-1+2.25 kg nitrapyrin ha^-1). Compared with urea alone, urea plus nitrapyrin decreased the average N₂O emission fluxes by 6.6–21.8% in June, July and August significantly in a drip-fertigation cycle. Urea application increased the seasonal cumulative N₂O emission by 2.4 kg N ha^-1 compared with control, and nitrapyrin addition significantly mitigated the seasonal N₂O emission by 14.3% compared with urea only. During the main growing season, the average soil ammonium nitrogen (NH₄⁺-N) concentration was 28.0% greater and soil nitrate nitrogen (NO₃^--N) concentration was 13.8% less in the urea+nitrapyrin treatment than in the urea treatment. Soil NO₃^--N and water-filled pore space (WFPS) were more closely correlated than soil NH₄⁺-N with soil N₂O fluxes under drip-fertigated condition (P<0.001). Compared with urea alone, urea plus nitrapyrin reduced the seasonal N₂O emission factor (EF) by 32.4% while increasing nitrogen use efficiency by 10.7%. The results demonstrated that nitrapyrin addition significantly inhibited soil nitrification and maintained more NH₄⁺-N in soil, mitigated N₂O losses and improved nitrogen use efficiency in plastic-film-mulched calcareous soil under high frequency drip-fertigated condition.

Effect of Azadirachta indica (neem), sodium thiosulphate and calcium chloride on changes in nitrogen transformations and inhibition of nitrification in soil incubated under laboratory conditions

A laboratory experiment was conducted to examine the effects of nitrification inhibitors (NIs) neem seed-cake (Azadirachta indica) (NSC), sodium thiosulphate (Na₂S₂O₃) and calcium chloride (CaCl₂) on changes in NH₄(+)⁻N, inhibition of nitrification and recovery of applied nitrogen (N) in soil. Surface soil samples of 0-15 cm were collected from an arable field, amended with urea N (UN) at the rate 200 mg N kg⁻¹, UN+NSC, UN+Na₂S₂O₃ and UN+CaCl₂ and incubated at 22°C periodically over 50 d. Soil without any amendment was used as check (control). Results indicated that more than 58% of N applied as NH₄⁻ disappeared over a period of 50 d from the soil mineral-N pool. Some of this N (21%) was accumulated as NO₃⁻-N while the remaining N was unaccounted for. Addition of nitrification inhibitors NSC, Na₂S₂O₃, and CaCl₂ resulted in a decrease in the extent of NH₄(+) disappearance by 35%, 44% and 30%, respectively. In the treatment receiving UN alone, 56 mg NO₃⁻-N kg⁻¹ was accumulated over 50 d (maximum 93 mg kg⁻¹) indicated an active nitrification. Application of nitrification inhibitors NSC, Na₂S₂O₃, and CaCl₂ with UN inhibited nitrification by 54%, 64%, and 59%, respectively. Apparent N recovery (ANR) in the treatment receiving UN alone was 63% that substantially increased to 83%, 89% and 76% in the treatments receiving UN+NSC, UN+Na₂S₂O₃, and UN+CaCl₂, respectively indicating 32%, 41% and 20% increase in N recovery. Among three NIs tested, Na₂S₂O₃ proved superior in inhibiting nitrification and increasing ANR. The study demonstrated that application of NSC, Na₂S₂O₃, and CaCl₂ which are cheap and easily available NIs inhibited nitrification and improved N recovery efficiency of applied N in an arable soil very effectively. It is suggested that these inhibitors should be tested under field conditions for increasing NUE and improving crop productivity.

Soil nitrogen dynamics in irrigated maize systems as impacted on by nitrogen and stubble management

The soil nitrogen (N) dynamics of an irrigated maize system in which stubble retention and stubble burned treatments were superimposed over treatments of varying N fertiliser rate were studied. The field site was near Whitton, New South Wales, Australia, and the work described here is part a life cycle analysis of greenhouse gas emissions from maize project. The objective of this part of the work was to quantify the fate of fertiliser N applied at the site. Field measurements of denitrification, mineral N content and recovery of 15N-labelled urea from microplots with and without ammonium thiosulfate were complimented with laboratory studies of denitrification and nitrous oxide (N2O) flux. Significantly (P < 0.05) more fertiliser N was recovered in the grain from the stubble incorporated treatment than the stubble burned treatment and there was greater recovery of fertiliser N in the soil at the end of the experiment in the stubble burned treatment. This may indicate that fertiliser N applied to the stubble burned system may be more exposed to soil-N transformations. The reason for the difference in uptake and soil residual is not clear but may be related to soil structure differences leading to less plant accessibility of N in the burned treatment. This difference may lead to more nitrous oxide emission from soil in the stubble burned treatments. Short-term (1 h) static chamber measurements in the field found a strong N-rate dependence of N2O emission rate for fertiliser rates between 0 and 300 kg N/ha. Inclusion of ammonium thiosulfate in the fertiliser formulation did not appear to have a significant impact on fertiliser N recovery.

Effects of slow-release urea fertilizers on urease activity, microbial biomass, and nematode communities in an aquic brown soil

A field experiment was carried out at the Shenyang Experimental Station of Ecology (CAS) in order to study the effects of slow-release urea fertilizers high polymer-coated urea (SRU1), SRU1 mixed with dicyandiamide DCD (SRU2), and SRU1 mixed with calcium carbide CaC2 (SRU3) on urease activity, microbial biomass C and N, and nematode communities in an aquic brown soil during the maize growth period. The results demonstrated that the application of slow-release urea fertilizers inhibits soil urease activity and increases the soil NH4+-N content. Soil available N increment could promote its immobilization by microorganisms. Determination of soil microbial biomass N indicated that a combined application of coated urea and nitrification inhibitors increased the soil active N pool. The population of predators/omnivores indicated that treatment with SRU2 could provide enough soil NH4+-N to promote maize growth and increased the food resource for the soil fauna compared with the other treatments.