Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-t8hqh Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-22T06:02:08.958Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Tests of nitrification and of urease inhibitors, when applied with either solid or aqueous urea, on grass grown on a light sandy soil

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 March 2009

G. A. Rodgers ,
A. Penny ,
F. V. Widdowson  and
M. V. Hewitt
G. A. Rodgers
Affiliation:
Rothamsted Experimental Station, Harpenden, Herts., AL5 2JQ
A. Penny
Affiliation:
Rothamsted Experimental Station, Harpenden, Herts., AL5 2JQ
F. V. Widdowson
Affiliation:
Rothamsted Experimental Station, Harpenden, Herts., AL5 2JQ
M. V. Hewitt
Affiliation:
Rothamsted Experimental Station, Harpenden, Herts., AL5 2JQ
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary

In 1984 and 1985 a field experiment on a grass ley on a light sandy soil at Woburn Experimental Farm, Bedfordshire, tested injected aqueous urea and broadcast prilled urea, applied alone or with a nitrification or urease inhibitor. Aqueous urea, prilled urea and ‘Nitro-Chalk’ were applied as a single 375 kg N/ha dressing, and prilled urea and ‘Nitro-Chalk’ also as three 125 kg N/ha dressings. The nitrification inhibitor nitrapyrin or a mixture of sodium trithiocarbonate (STC) plus potassium ethyl xanthate (KEtX) was injected with aqueous urea. The nitrification inhibitor dicyandiamide (DCD) or the urease inhibitor phenyl-phosphorodiamidate (PPDA) was broadcast with prilled urea.

The nitrification inhibitors significantly retarded nitrification of both aqueous and prilled urea. PPDA reduced ammonia volatilization from 375 kg N/ha broadcast as urea, and hence losses to the atmosphere, which otherwise ranged from 13 to 33 kg N/ha.

Nitrapyrin or STC and KEtX increased yield and nitrogen uptake in both years when urea was injected in January. Nitrapyrin also increased yield and nitrogen uptake in 1985, but not in 1984, when urea was injected in March, whereas the STC and KEtX mixture was then either detrimental or ineffective. DCD increased yield and nitrogen uptake from a single dressing of broadoast urea only in 1985. PPDA increased yield and nitrogen uptake from a single broadcast dressing of urea in both years, but had little effect when applied with divided dressings.

In 1984 a divided broadcast dressing of ‘Nitro-Chalk’ gave the largest yield and nitrogen uptake, but in 1985 aqueous urea injected with nitrapyrin in January or without or with a nitrification inhibitor in Maroh and prilled urea broadcast as a divided dressing all gave a larger yield. Similarly, a single application was generally more effective as ‘Nitro-Chalk’ in 1984, but as urea in 1985.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Journal of Agricultural Science , Volume 108 , Issue 1 , February 1987 , pp. 109 - 117
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1987

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Amberger, A. & Vilsmeier, K. (1979). Versuche zur Wirkung von Cyanamid, Dicyandiamid, Guanylharnstoff, Guanidin und Nitrit auf die Ureaseaktivität. Landwirtschaftliche Forschung 32, 409–415.Google Scholar
Ashworth, J., Widdowson, F. V., Penny, A., Gibbs, A. J., Hodgkinson, R. A. & Hewitt, M. V. (1982). Results from an experiment on permanent grass evaluating the cumulative effects of aqueous urea, injected alone or with a nitrification inhibitor, with those of ‘Nitro-Chalk’. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 98, 141–154.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gasser, J. K. R. (1964). Urea as a fertilizer. Soils and Fertilizers 27, 175–180.Google Scholar
Haynes, R. J. & Goh, K. M. (1978). Ammonium and nitrate nutrition of plants. Biological Reviews 53, 465–510.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kurtz, L. T. (1980). Potential for nitrogen loss. In Nitrification Inhibitors – Potentials and Limitations. Special publication no. 38 (ed. Stelly, M.), pp. 1–17. Madison, Wisconsin: American Society of Agronomy.Google Scholar
Martens, D. A. & Bremner, J. M. (1984). Effectiveness of phosphoroamides for retardation of urea hydrolysis in soils. Soil Science Society of America Journal 48, 302–305.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mudahar, M. S. & Hignett, T. P. (1982). Energy and fertilizer. International Fertilizer Development Center, Technical Bulletin T-20, 44–46.Google Scholar
Nelson, D. W. (1982). Gaseous losses of nitrogen other than through denitrification. In Nitrogen in Agricultural Soils. No. 22 in the series Agronomy (ed. Stevenson, F. J.), pp. 327–363. Madison, Wisconsin: American Society of Agronomy.Google Scholar
Overrein, L. N. & Moe, P. G. (1967). Factors affecting urea hydrolysis and ammonia volatilization in soil. Soil Science Society of America Proceedings 31, 57–61.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Penny, A., Widdowson, F. V. & Ashworth, J. (1977). Results from an experiment on permanent grass evaluating aqueous ammonia and aqueous urea, injected in bands either 30 or 60 cm apart. Journal Agricultural Science, Cambridge 88, 319–331.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rodgers, G. A., Widdowson, F. V., Penny, A. & Hewitt, M. V. (1983). Effects of several nitrification inhibitors, when injected with aqueous urea, on yields and nitrogen recoveries of ryegrass leys. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 101, 637–656.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rodgers, G. A., Widdowson, F. V., Penny, A. & Hewitt, M. V. (1984). Comparison of the effects of aqueous and of prilled urea, used alone or with urease or nitrification inhibitors, with those of ‘Nitro-Chalk’ on ryegrass leys. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 103, 671–685.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Slangen, J. H. G. & Kerkhoff, P. (1984). Nitrification inhibitors in agriculture and horticulture: a literature review. Fertilizer Research 5, 1–76.CrossRefGoogle Scholar