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Effectiveness of Calcium Cyanamide as a Nitrogen Source and Nitrification Inhibitor in a Tropical Soil
Author(s) -
Arora Y.,
Nnadi L. A.
Publication year - 1987
Publication title -
soil science society of america journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.836
H-Index - 168
eISSN - 1435-0661
pISSN - 0361-5995
DOI - 10.2136/sssaj1987.03615995005100060044x
Subject(s) - urea , nitrification , chemistry , nitrogen , zoology , agronomy , sowing , incubation , irrigation , fertilizer , biology , biochemistry , organic chemistry
Field experiments were conducted to test the efficiency of calcium cyanamide (CaCN 2 ) as an N source for wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.) and maize ( Zea mays L.) over four cropping seasons at the Irrigation Research Station at Kadawa (10°39′N, 08°02′E) Nigeria. Calcium cyanamide applied at recommended N rates, was compared with urea (120 kg N ha −1 ) and a mixture of urea and CaCN 2 [urea (110 kg N) plus CaCN 2 (10 kg N ha −1 )]. Highest maize grain yields and N uptake were obtained with the mixture of urea and CaCN 2 in both years of the study. Wheat yields were unaffected by form of N. Recovery of inorganic N (NO ‐ 3 + NH + 4 ) in the surface soil, 8 weeks after planting wheat in 1984 to 1985, was greatest for the CaCN 2 treatment followed by the urea‐CaCN 2 mixture, and urea in tha torder. Nitrogen recovery in the 0.6‐m depth was approximately the same for all treatments. A laboratory incubation study using the same soil gave about 80% recovery of inorganic N from added CaCN 2 within 8 weeks with most of the N remaining as NH + 4 throughout the 8‐week study. Addition of 10 mg kg −1 of N as CaCN 2 to the soil inhibited the nitrification of added urea.