Summary
A study of changes in NH4 + and NO3 −−N in Maahas clay amended with (NH4)2SO4 and subjected to 4 water regimes in the presence and absence of the nitrification inhibitor N-Serve (Nitrapyrin) showed that the mineral N was well conserved in the continoous regimes of 50% and 200% (soil weight basis) but suffered heavy losses due to nitrification-denitrification under alternate drying and flooding. N-Serve was effective in minimizing these losses.
Another incubation study with 3 soils showed that after 10 cycles of flooding and drying (either at 60°C or 25°C), the ammonification of soil N was enhanced. Nitrification of soil as well as fertilizer NH4 + was completely inhibited upto 4 weeks by the treatments involving drying at high temperature. Flooding and air drying at 25°C, on the other hand, enhanced ammonification of soil N but retarded nitrification. These treatments, however, enhanced both ammonification and nitrification of the applied NH4 + fertilizer N. Under flooded conditions rate of NH4 + production was faster in soils that were dried at 60°C or 25°C and then flooded as compared to air dried soils.
It is concluded that N losses by nitrification-denitrification and related N transformations may be considerably altered by alternating moisture regimes. Flooding and drying treatments seem to retard nitrification of soil N but conserve that of fertilizer NH4 + applied after these treatments.
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Sahrawat, K.L. Soil and fertilizer nitrogen transformations under alternate flooding and drying moisture regimes. Plant Soil 55, 225–233 (1980). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02181802
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02181802