Uptake of nitrogen and nitrogen use efficiency of soil through agrotain coated urea and its integration with farmyard manure

Aneela Bashir; Shahid Ullah Khan; Awatif A Hendi; Umber Zaman; Khalil Ur Rehman; Moamen S Refat; Amnah Mohammed Alsuhaibani; Qudrat Ullah Khan

doi:10.1016/j.jenvman.2022.116963

Uptake of nitrogen and nitrogen use efficiency of soil through agrotain coated urea and its integration with farmyard manure

J Environ Manage. 2023 Feb 15:328:116963. doi: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2022.116963. Epub 2022 Dec 12.

Authors

Aneela Bashir¹, Shahid Ullah Khan², Awatif A Hendi³, Umber Zaman⁴, Khalil Ur Rehman⁵, Moamen S Refat⁶, Amnah Mohammed Alsuhaibani⁷, Qudrat Ullah Khan¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Soil and Environmental Sciences, Gomal University, Dera Ismail Khan, KPK, Pakistan.
² Department of Biochemistry, Women Medical and Dental College, Khyber Medical University, KPK, Pakistan; National Key Laboratory of Crops Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, PR China.
³ Department of Physics, College of Science, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, P.O. Box 84428, Riyadh, 11671, Saudi Arabia.
⁴ Institute of Chemical Sciences, Gomal University, Dera Ismail Khan, KPK, Pakistan.
⁵ Institute of Chemical Sciences, Gomal University, Dera Ismail Khan, KPK, Pakistan. Electronic address: rehmankhalil025@gmail.com.
⁶ Department of Chemistry, College of Science, Taif University, P.O. Box 11099, Taif, 21944, Saudi Arabia.
⁷ Department of Physical Sport Science, College of Education, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, P.O. Box 84428, Riyadh, 11671, Saudi Arabia.

PMID: 36516710
DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2022.116963

Abstract

Since the green revolution, excessive utilization of chemical fertilizers has become prevalent due to concerns about the integrity of food production for the growing population. This indiscriminate use harms the fertility of the soil, especially in sandy soils where nutrient leaching, particularly nitrogen, results in yield losses as well as environmental and health problems. A pot experiment was carried out at Gomal University, Pakistan, in March 2022 to assess the nitrogen use efficiency, nitrogen uptake, and yield of okra. There were nine treatments with four replicates and the treatment combinations were established using a completely randomized design (CRD). Urea coated with agrotain (urease inhibitor) was applied each at 120 and 84 kg N ha^-1 in 2 or 3 splits. Urea at 84 kg N ha^-1 was also used in combination with Farmyard manure (FYM) and compared against the control (100% recommended urea). Obtained results showed that inhibitor-treated urea significantly increased soil concentrations of NO₃^-N and NH₄^-N over non-inhibitor-treated urea. The highest NO₃^-N was recorded where urea alone and urea treated with 3 L (3 L) agrotain was applied to 100%. The highest ammonical-N was recorded, where 70% urea treated with 3 L agrotain was applied. Urea, in combination with FYM, significantly increased the organic matter. Electrical conductivity in extract (ECe), and pH of the soil. The improvement in yield with inhibitor was at par with 70% and 100% urea. The highest improvement of 16% in fruit yield and 7.29% nitrogen use efficiency was obtained in the treatment receiving 120 kg N ha^-1 treated with 3 L agrotain compared with non-inhibitor urea. The 2nd highest improvement of 10% in fruit yield on account of increased fruit length, stem diameter, and number of fruits, and 5.97% nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) was obtained in treatment receiving 120 kg N ha^-1 in combination with FYM in comparison to control. These results suggested that the use of N inhibitor significantly increased the okra fruit yield on account of enhancing ammonical-N and increased N use efficiency.

Keywords: Agrotain; Nitrogen use efficiency; Okra; Soil; Urea.

MeSH terms

Abelmoschus*
Agriculture / methods
Crops, Agricultural
Fertilizers
Humans
Manure
Nitrogen / analysis
Soil*
Urea

Substances

Soil
Manure
Nitrogen
Urea
Fertilizers