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Effect of the nitrification inhibitor nitrapyrin on the fate of nitrogen applied to a soil incubated under laboratory conditions
Author(s) -
Kaleem Abbasi M.,
Shah Zahir,
Adams W.A.
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
journal of plant nutrition and soil science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.644
H-Index - 87
eISSN - 1522-2624
pISSN - 1436-8730
DOI - 10.1002/jpln.200320246
Subject(s) - nitrification , chemistry , mineralization (soil science) , diammonium phosphate , soil water , nitrogen , urea , nitrogen cycle , fertilizer , zoology , ammonium , phosphate , agronomy , environmental chemistry , ecology , biology , biochemistry , organic chemistry
The aim of this study was to examine the effect of the nitrification inhibitor nitrapyrin on the fate and recovery of fertilizer nitrogen (N) and on N mineralization from soil organic sources. Intact soil cores were collected from a grassland field. Diammonium phosphate (DAP) and urea were applied as N sources. Cores were equilibrated at –5 kPa matric potential and incubated at 20 °C for 42 to 56 days. Changes in NH 4 + ‐N, accumulation of NO 3 – ‐N, apparent recovery of applied N, and emission of N 2 O (acetylene was used to block N 2 O reductase) were examined during the study. A significant increase in NH 4 + ‐N released through mineralization was recorded when nitrapyrin was added to the control soil without N fertilizer application. In the soils to which N was added either as urea or DAP, 50–90 % of the applied N disappeared from the NH 4 + ‐N pool. Some of this N (8–16 %) accumulated as NO 3 – ‐N, while a small proportion of N (1 %) escaped as N 2 O. Addition of nitrapyrin resulted in a decrease and delay of NH 4 + ‐N disappearance, accumulation of much lower soil NO 3 – ‐N contents, a substantial reduction in N 2 O emissions, and a 30–40 % increase in the apparent recovery of added N. The study indicates that N recovery can be increased by using the nitrification inhibitor nitrapyrin in grassland soils at moisture condition close to field capacity.