Biochar reduces the efficiency of nitrification inhibitor 3,4-dimethylpyrazole phosphate (DMPP) mitigating N2O emissions

Among strategies suggested to decrease agricultural soil N₂O losses, the use of nitrification inhibitors such as DMPP (3,4-dimethylpyrazole phosphate) has been proposed. However, the efficiency of DMPP might be affected by soil amendments, such as biochar, which has been shown to reduce N₂O emissions. This study evaluated the synergic effect of a woody biochar applied with DMPP on soil N₂O emissions. A incubation study was conducted with a silt loam soil and a biochar obtained from Pinus taeda at 500 °C. Two biochar rates (0 and 2% (w/w)) and three different nitrogen treatments (unfertilized, fertilized and fertilized + DMPP) were assayed under two contrasting soil water content levels (40% and 80% of water filled pore space (WFPS)) over a 163 day incubation period. Results showed that DMPP reduced N₂O emissions by reducing ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) populations and promoting the last step of denitrification (measured by the ratio nosZI + nosZII/nirS + nirK genes). Biochar mitigated N₂O emissions only at 40% WFPS due to a reduction in AOB population. However, when DMPP was applied to the biochar amended soil, a counteracting effect was observed, since the N₂O mitigation induced by DMPP was lower than in control soil, demonstrating that this biochar diminishes the efficiency of the DMPP both at low and high soil water contents.