Hostname: page-component-76fb5796d-zzh7m Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-26T19:30:13.777Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Effects of several nitrification inhibitors, when injected with aqueous urea, on yields and nitrogen recoveries of ryegrass leys

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 March 2009

G. A. Rodgers ,
F. V. Widdowson ,
A. Penny  and
M. V. Hewitt
G. A. Rodgers
Affiliation:
Rothamsted Experimental Station, Harpenden, Herts., AL5 2JQ
F. V. Widdowson
Affiliation:
Rothamsted Experimental Station, Harpenden, Herts., AL5 2JQ
A. Penny
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

Several nitrification inhibitors were compared with nitrapyrin, which was taken as the standard, when injected with aqueous urea into ryegrass leys at Rothamsted during 1977–81 and at Liscombe Experimental Husbandry Farm, Dulverton, Somerset, during 1977–9. Injection was done in either autumn or winter or spring.

All the inhibitors slowed down the rate of nitrate formation from the injected urea. Sodium trithioearbonate (STC) was less effective than nitrapyrin and potassium ethyl xanthate (KEtX) less effective than STC. A mixture of nitrapyrin and carbon disulphide was better than nitrapyrin alone, and a mixture of STO and KEtX was better than STC alone.

At Rothamsted, injecting inhibitors in autumn or winter improved yields and N uptakes, probably because they prevented loss of nitrate N by leaching and perhaps by denitrification. STC, STC-KEtX mixture and etridiazole were as good as, and nitrapyrin–CS2 mixture better than, nitrapyrin alone. Injecting inhibitors in spring frequently decreased yields, perhaps because NH4:NO3 ratios were too large, and increased them only when more than 150 mm of rain fell afterwards.

At Liscombe, where rainfall was higher, but soil temperatures were similar to those at Rothamsted, the benefits from using inhibitors in autumn were larger, but there were none from using them in spring.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Journal of Agricultural Science , Volume 101 , Issue 3 , December 1983 , pp. 637 - 656
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1983

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

American Society of Agronomy (1980). Nitrification inhibitors - potentials and limitations. Special publication no. 38 (ed. Stelly, M.), Ch. 5–9. Madison, Wisconsin: American Society of Agronomy.Google Scholar
Anon. (1980). Two fifths increase in world urea capacity expected by mid-decade. Nitrogen 125, 24–25.Google Scholar
Ashworth, J. (1980). Gravimetric determination of mean temperature by xanthate hydrolysis. Journal of Applied Ecology 17, 227–233.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ashworth, J., Briggs, G. G. & Evans, A. A. (1975).Field injection of carbon disulphide to inhibit, nitrification of ammonia fertiliser. Chemistry and Industry 6, 749–750.Google Scholar
Ashworth, J., Briggs, G. G., Evans, A. A. & Matula, J. (1977). Inhibition of nitrification by nitrapyrin, carbon disulphide and trithiocarbonate. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture 28, 673–683.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ashworth, J., Penny, A., Widdowson, F. V. & Briggs, G. G. (1980). The effects of injecting nitrapyrin (‘N-Serve’), carbon disulphide or trithiocarbonates with aqueous ammonia, on yield and % N of grass. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture 31, 229–237.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ashworth, J., Rodgers, G. A. & Brigos, G. G. (1979). Xanthates as inhibitors of fertiliser nitrogen transformation in soil. Chemistry and Industry 3, 90–92.Google Scholar
Ashworth, J., Wlddowson, F. V., Penny, A., Glbbs, 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
Bremneb, J. M., Blackmer, A. M. & Bundy, L. G. (1978). Problems in the use of nitrapyrin (N-Serve) to inhibit nitrification in soils. Soil Biology and Biochemistry 10, 441–442.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bundy, L. G. & Bremner, J. M. (1973). Inhibition of nitrification in soils. Soil Science Society of America Proceedings 37, 396–398.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Church, B. M. (1982). Use of fertilisers in England and Wales 1981. Rothamsted Experimental Station, Report for 1981, Part 2, p. 124.Google Scholar
Gasser, J. K. R. (1964). Urea as a fertilizer. Sgils and Fertilizers 27, 175–180.Google Scholar
Goring, C. A. I. (1962). Control of nitrification by 2-chloro-6-(trichloro-methyl) pyridine. Soil Science 93, 211–218.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hauck, R. D. (1980). Mode of actioh of nitrification inhibitors. In Nitrification Inhibitors – Potentials and Limitations (ed. Stelly, M.). American Society of Agronomy. Special publication, no. 38, pp. 19–32. Madison, Wisconsin: American Society of Agronomy.Google Scholar
Haynes, R. J. & Goh, K. M. (1978). Ammonium and nitrate nutrition of plants. Biological Reviews 53, 465–510.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Howes, R., Hunt, J. & Barker, A. (1982). Make T-sums add up. Farmer's Weekly 97, no. 24, 64–69.Google Scholar
Knowles, G., Downing, A. L. & Barrett, M. J. (1965). Determination of kinetic constants for nitrifying bacteria in mixed culture, with the aid of an electronic computer. Journal of General Microbiology 38, 263–278.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Malhi, S. S. & Nyborg, M. (1979). Nitrate formation during winter from fall-applied urea. Soil Biology and Biochemistry 11, 439–441.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Middleton, K. R. & Smith, G. S. (1979). A comparison of ammoniacal and nitrate nutrition of perennial ryegrass through a thermodynamic model. Plant and Soil 53, 487–504.CrossRefGoogle 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 60cm apart. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 88, 319–331.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Powlson, D. S. & Jenkinson, D. S. (1971). Inhibition of nitrification in soil by carbon disulphide from rubber bungs. Soil Biology and Biochemistry 3, 267–269.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Reddy, G. R. (1964). Effectof mixing varying quantities of dicyandiamide with ammonium fertilizer on nitrification of ammonia in soils. Canadian Journal of Soil Science 44, 254–259.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rodgers, G. A., Ashworth, J. & Walker, N. (1980). Recovery of nitrifier populations from inhibition by N-Serve or CS4. Zentralblatt fur Bakteriologie Parasitenkunde Infektionskrankheiten und Hygiene, Abt 2, 135, 477–483.Google Scholar
Sahrawat, K. L. (1980). Control of urea hydrolysis and nitrification in soil by chemicals – prospects and problems. Plant and Soil 57, 335–352.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sommer, K. (1972). Nitrificides, part 1. Action significance and procedure for selection of nitrificidal compounds. Landwirtschaftliche Forschung Sonderheft 27, 64–73.Google Scholar