Ammonia Volatilization Loss and Corn Nitrogen Nutrition and Productivity with Efficiency Enhanced UAN and Urea under No-tillage

Sci Rep. 2019 Apr 29;9(1):6610. doi: 10.1038/s41598-019-42912-5.

Abstract

New urease and nitrification inhibitors and polymer coatings were introduced in recent years, but their effects on N loss and plant N nutrition were scarcely examined in agronomic no-tillage production systems. A field experiment of urea treated with efficiency enhancers was conducted on no-tillage corn (Zea mays L.) in Tennessee, the USA during 2013-2015. A field experiment on urea and ammonium nitrate (UAN) treated with efficiency enhancers was carried out on no-tillage corn in Tennessee in 2014 and 2015. Urea treated with N-(n-butyl) thiophosphoric triamide (NBPT) at concentrations of 20% (NBPT1), 26.7% (NBPT2), or 30% (NBPT3) and polymer coated urea (PCU) were effective but maleic-itaconic copolymer treated urea was ineffective in reducing ammonia volatilization loss and improving N nutrition, grain yield, and N agronomic use efficiency of corn compared with untreated urea. Specifically, NBPT1, NBPT2, or NBPT3 treated urea and PCU reduced the total ammonia volatilization loss by 29.1-78.8%, 35.4-81.9%, 77.3-87.4%, and 59.1-83.3% during the 20 days after N applications, but increased grain yield by 15.6-31.4%, 12.9-34.8%, 18.7-19.9%, and 14.6-41.1%, respectively. The inhibitory effect of NBPT on ammonia volatilization did not improve with NBPT concentration increased from 20% to 30%. UAN treated with NBPT3 or a combination of urease and nitrification inhibitors resulted in 16.5-16.6% higher corn yield than untreated UAN only when they were surface applied. In conclusion, when urea-containing fertilizers are surface applied without any incorporation into the soil under no-tillage, their use efficiencies and performances on corn can be enhanced with an effective urease inhibitor in areas and years with noticeable urea N losses.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Agriculture
  • Ammonia / metabolism
  • Carbon Dioxide / chemistry
  • Carbon Dioxide / metabolism
  • Fertilizers*
  • Nitrification / drug effects
  • Nitrogen / metabolism*
  • Nitrous Oxide
  • Organophosphorus Compounds / chemistry
  • Organophosphorus Compounds / pharmacology
  • Polymers / chemistry
  • Soil / chemistry
  • Urea / chemistry*
  • Urea / pharmacology
  • Urease / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Volatilization / drug effects*
  • Zea mays / drug effects
  • Zea mays / growth & development
  • Zea mays / metabolism*

Substances

  • Fertilizers
  • N-(n-butyl) thiophosphoric triamide
  • Organophosphorus Compounds
  • Polymers
  • Soil
  • Carbon Dioxide
  • Ammonia
  • Urea
  • Urease
  • Nitrous Oxide
  • Nitrogen