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Effect of combining urea fertilizer with P and K fertilizers on the efficacy of urease inhibitors under different storage conditions

  • Soils, Sec 4 • Ecotoxicology • Research Article
  • Published:
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Abstract

Purpose

Urease inhibitors provide a simple solution to mitigate ammonia loss from fertilized soil. Consumption of bulk blend fertilizers and compound fertilizers were increased in recent year and its enhanced efficiency and stabilized techniques were urgently required. However, it is essentially unknown if and how the efficacy of urease inhibitors is influenced by the inclusion of phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) fertilizers with urea.

Materials and methods

A laboratory study was therefore conducted to assess the impact of P and K (bulk blend scenario: combing urea with di-ammonium phosphate (DAP); compound fertilizer scenario: nitrogen (N)-P-K proportion as 16-16-16 (CN16) or 32-0-6 (CN32)) and additionally the impact of fertilizer storage duration and temperature on the efficacy of two different urease inhibitors NBPT and Limus® in reducing ammonia volatilization following application to soil.

Results and discussion

Both urease inhibitors significantly reduced ammonia loss from urea regardless of storage temperature and time. However, mixed storage of urea and DAP with urease inhibitors significantly decreased the efficacy of NBPT and Limus® in reducing ammonia loss. Ammonia loss increased exponentially with DAP addition rate and with storage time of the mixture. Storage at a higher temperature (30 °C compared with 20 °C) also reduced the efficacy of the inhibitors. Adding magnesium sulfate (MgSO4) to urea plus Limus® significantly mitigated the negative effect of DAP mixed storage on the efficacy of Limus® regardless of storage temperature and time. The urease inhibitors did not significantly reduce ammonia loss from CN16, but were effective for reducing ammonia loss from CN32.

Conclusions

The efficacy of urease inhibitors was compromised by P fertilizer. Urease inhibitor inclusion in the production of CN32, urea, and its blends (DAP + MgSO4) are recommended as an effective means of reducing the environmental cost causing by intensive agricultural production.

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Funding

This study was supported by the State Key R&D Program (2017YFD0200101), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (41425007), and the UK BBSRC/NERC Newton-funded project UK-China Virtual Joint Centre for Improved Nitrogen Agronomy (CINAg) (BB/N013468/1). The authors appreciate the support from the BASF SE for funding and the Limus® products.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Resources & Environmental Sciences, Key Laboratory of Plant-Soil Interactions of MOE, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China

    Zhipeng Sha, Tiantian Lv, Xin Ma, Zhang Wen, Qianqian Li & Xuejun Liu

  2. BASF SE, Agricultural Center Limburgerhof, Speyerer Strasse 2, 67117, Limburgerhof, Germany

    Maarten Staal & Gregor Pasda

  3. Rothamsted Research, North Wyke, Devon, EX20 2SB, UK

    Tom Misselbrook

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  1. Zhipeng Sha
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  2. Tiantian Lv
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  3. Maarten Staal
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  4. Xin Ma
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  5. Zhang Wen
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  6. Qianqian Li
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  7. Gregor Pasda
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  9. Xuejun Liu
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Correspondence to Xuejun Liu.

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Responsible editor: Qiaoyun Huang

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Sha, Z., Lv, T., Staal, M. et al. Effect of combining urea fertilizer with P and K fertilizers on the efficacy of urease inhibitors under different storage conditions. J Soils Sediments 20, 2130–2140 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-019-02534-w

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-019-02534-w

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