Use of inhibitors to reduce nitrogen loss and improve efficiency of urea fertilizer

Freney J.R., . (1994) Use of inhibitors to reduce nitrogen loss and improve efficiency of urea fertilizer. [Proceedings Paper]

Studies show that urea is an insufficient nitrogen fertilizer because large amounts of nitrogen are lost from the plant-soil system by ammonia volatilization and denitrification.Laboratory studies suggest that the efficiency of urea could be improved by urease and nitrification inhibitors to prevent these losses but little success has been obtained in the past in the field.This paper reports the results of some recent field studies which show that efficiency can be markedly improved in some agricultural systems by the use of inhibitors.In sugarcane fields with minimum tillage and trash retention the urease inhibitor N-n-butyl thiophorictriamide had little effect on ammonia loss when urea was broadcast onto the surface of the cane residues.However in flooded rice fields under appropriate conditions ammonia volatilization was greatly reduced and grain yield increased by the use of this inhibitor.Our work has also shown that denitrification losses from cotton and flooded rice fields can be markedly reduced by the use wax-coated calcium carbide as a slow release source of acetylene and substituted acetylenes as nitrification inhibitors.Use of these compounds retarded nitrification and significantly increased recovery of nitrogen in the plant-soil system.In the case of cotton addition of wax-coated calcium carbide increased lint yield by 14.The results show that efficiency of urea fertilizer can be greatly improved by the use of urease and nitrification inhibitors.

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Abstract

Studies show that urea is an insufficient nitrogen fertilizer because large amounts of nitrogen are lost from the plant-soil system by ammonia volatilization and denitrification.Laboratory studies suggest that the efficiency of urea could be improved by urease and nitrification inhibitors to prevent these losses but little success has been obtained in the past in the field.This paper reports the results of some recent field studies which show that efficiency can be markedly improved in some agricultural systems by the use of inhibitors.In sugarcane fields with minimum tillage and trash retention the urease inhibitor N-n-butyl thiophorictriamide had little effect on ammonia loss when urea was broadcast onto the surface of the cane residues.However in flooded rice fields under appropriate conditions ammonia volatilization was greatly reduced and grain yield increased by the use of this inhibitor.Our work has also shown that denitrification losses from cotton and flooded rice fields can be markedly reduced by the use wax-coated calcium carbide as a slow release source of acetylene and substituted acetylenes as nitrification inhibitors.Use of these compounds retarded nitrification and significantly increased recovery of nitrogen in the plant-soil system.In the case of cotton addition of wax-coated calcium carbide increased lint yield by 14.The results show that efficiency of urea fertilizer can be greatly improved by the use of urease and nitrification inhibitors.

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Item Type:	Proceedings Paper
Additional Information:	5 ills. 51 refs.
AGROVOC Term:	UREA
AGROVOC Term:	FERTILIZERS
AGROVOC Term:	NITROGEN
AGROVOC Term:	NITROGEN FERTILIZERS
AGROVOC Term:	AUSTRALIA
Geographical Term:	MALAYSIA
Depositing User:	Ms. Norfaezah Khomsan
Last Modified:	24 Apr 2025 05:27
URI:	http://webagris.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/16502

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