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Predicting the efficacy of the nitrification inhibitor dicyandiamide in pastoral soils

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Abstract

Aims

Identification of soil, environmental, or microbial properties linked with efficacy of the nitrification inhibitor dicyandiamide (DCD) in high and low-input pastoral farming system soils.

Methods

Soils were collected from under 25 pastures. Potential nitrification rate (PRN) was quantified in the presence and absence of DCD, and percentage efficacy of DCD in reducing PNR calculated. PNR and %DCD efficacy were statistically tested (REML analysis) for relationships to a suite of edaphic (33), environmental (5), and microbiological (8) variables. Microbiological properties included measurement of bacterial and archaeal ammonia monooxygenase genes (amoA qPCR) and soil DNA content.

Results

DCD reduced PRN by an average of 36 %. The percent DCD efficacy was not related to system intensity, soil type, nor PNR (all P > 0.05). However the numbers of bacterial amoA genes (r = 0.46; P < 0.05), and ratios of bacterial:archaeal amoA (r = −0.53; P < 0.05), were strongly correlated to %DCD efficacy. In both high and low input systems, models best explaining variance in %DCD efficacy fitted AOA: AOB g soil−1 as the first varaible (P < 0.05).

Conclusions

Characterisation of soils based on ammonia oxidising communities may increase the ability to predict the % efficacy of DCD between sites and provide for more targeted application of this nitrification inhibitor.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Roger Cresswell (Lincoln University Analytical Services) who conducted analysis of soil nitrate content and provided general advice on soil physicochemical analysis, and Emily Gerard (AgResearch, Lincoln) who conducted the amoA qPCR analysis. The soils were donated with goodwill from farmers from around New Zealand, and constitute a subset of samples from the NZ50PP. DCD was gifted by Ballance AgriNutrients. We thank Hills Laboratories for providing comprehensive physicochemical analysis of the soil properties in support of this project. Part of this project was funded by the New Zealand Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (LINX0705)

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Innovative Farm Systems, AgResearch Ltd, Private Bag 4749, Christchurch, 8140, New Zealand

    Steven Wakelin, Eletra Williams & Maureen O’Callaghan

  2. School of Chemical Sciences, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand

    Eletra Williams

  3. CSIRO Plant Industry, Floreat, WA, 6014, Australia

    Cathryn A. O’Sullivan

  4. Centre for Soil and Environmental Research, Lincoln University, PO Box 84, Lincoln, 7674, New Zealand

    Keith C. Cameron & Hong J. Di

  5. Mathematics and Statistics, AgResearch Ruakura, Private Bag 3123, Hamilton, 3240, New Zealand

    Vanessa Cave

Authors
  1. Steven Wakelin
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  2. Eletra Williams
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  3. Cathryn A. O’Sullivan
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  4. Keith C. Cameron
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  5. Hong J. Di
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  6. Vanessa Cave
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  7. Maureen O’Callaghan
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Steven Wakelin.

Additional information

Responsible Editor: Elizabeth M. Baggs.

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Supplementary Fig. S1

Sampling locations and soil groups of samples collected for the DCD inhibition assay. Samples in blue are taken from dairy farms, samples in red are from sheep, sheep & beef or beef farms (i.e. ‘other’ land-use). Soil groups are given (JPEG 698 kb)

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Wakelin, S., Williams, E., O’Sullivan, C.A. et al. Predicting the efficacy of the nitrification inhibitor dicyandiamide in pastoral soils. Plant Soil 381, 35–43 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-014-2107-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-014-2107-8

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