scholarly journals Ammonia volatilisation from urease inhibitor-treated urea applied to sugarcane trash blankets

2008 ◽  
Vol 65 (4) ◽  
pp. 397-401 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heitor Cantarella ◽  
Paulo Cesar Ocheuze Trivelin ◽  
Teodoro Leonardo Michelucci Contin ◽  
Fábio Luis Ferreira Dias ◽  
Raffaella Rossetto ◽  
...  

Legal restrictions from burning sugarcane prior to harvest are causing a sharp increase in acreage which is harvested as green cane. The presence of a thick sugarcane trash mulch left after harvest makes it difficult to incorporate fertilisers in the soil. Since large losses of ammonia may occur when urea is surface applied to trash, it is important to find ways to improve urea-N use efficiency. The urease inhibitor NBPT slows down urea hydrolysis and thus may help decrease ammonia losses. Ammonia traps were set up in seven sugarcane fields covered with trash and fertilised with ammonium sulfate or ammonium nitrate, urea, and NBPT-treated urea. All N fertilisers were surface-applied at rates of 80 or 100 kg N ha-1. Very little N was lost when ammonium nitrate or ammonium sulfate were used. However, volatilisation losses as ammonia from the urea treatments varied from 1% (rainy days after fertilisation) to 25% of the applied N. The percentage of reduction in volatilisation due to NBPT application ranged from 15% to 78% depending on the weather conditions during the days following application of N. Addition of NBPT to urea helped to control ammonia losses, but the inhibitor was less effective when rain sufficient to incorporate urea into the soil occurred only 10 to 15 days or latter after fertiliser application.

Soil Research ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 52 (8) ◽  
pp. 805 ◽  
Author(s):  
Graeme D. Schwenke ◽  
William Manning ◽  
Bruce M. Haigh

Farmers on Vertosols in the northern grains region of Australia are increasingly using pre-crop broadcasting and in-crop topdressing of nitrogen (N) fertilisers. Surface application risks gaseous loss via ammonia volatilisation, but the magnitude of N loss is unknown. Because both soil properties and environmental conditions influence ammonia volatilisation, measurements need to be field-based and non-intrusive, e.g. micrometeorological. We used an integrated horizontal flux technique to measure ammonia volatilised from neutral to alkaline Vertosols for a month after the application of several fertiliser products in 10 bare-fallow paddocks, seven mid-tillering wheat crops, and two perennial-grass-based pastures. Ammonia loss from urea averaged 11% (5.4–19%) when applied to fallow paddocks, 4.8% (3.1–7.6%) when applied to wheat, and 27% when applied to pasture. Volatilisation from urea applied to pastures was high, because there was little rain after spreading. Losses from ammonium sulfate applied to pastures were >60% less than from urea. Nitrogen losses from ammonium sulfate were high (18.6–33.8%) from soils with >10 g 100 g–1 of calcium carbonate (CaCO3), but were 52% less than from urea at five of eight fallow paddocks on non-calcareous soils, and 76% less than from urea at the two pasture paddocks. Coating urea with N-(n-butyl)thiophosphoric triamide reduced ammonia loss at just two of eight fallow paddocks and one of three in-crop paddocks. Ammonia volatilisation from aqueous solutions of urea, urea ammonium nitrate, and ammonium nitrate were either less than or no different from losses from granulated urea, but not consistent. With the exception of ammonium sulfate applied to soils with >10 g 100 g–1 of CaCO3, surface application of N fertiliser during autumn–winter on cropped Vertosols in the Australian northern grains region does not lead to major N loss via ammonia volatilisation.


HortScience ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 48 (3) ◽  
pp. 369-372 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Lenny Wells

Application method and placement can improve the efficiency of applied nitrogen (N) per unit of yield, potentially minimizing N loss and increasing the profit margin for pecan producers. The following treatments were evaluated for their effect on pecan leaf N concentration, pecan yield, nut quality, agronomic N use efficiency (AEN), and alternate bearing intensity (I); 1) emitter-adjacent application of liquid urea ammonium nitrate (UAN) (28N–0P–0K) with 5% sulfur (S); 2) broadcast application of dry ammonium nitrate (34N–0P–0K); 3) broadcast-band application of dry ammonium nitrate; 4) broadcast ground-spray application of liquid UAN; and 5) untreated control (2009–12). Leaf elemental tissue analysis, pecan yield, quality, and alternate bearing intensity indicate that pecans can be effectively fertilized with N using any of the application methods used in the current study. Based on AEN, it appears that pecans can be effectively fertilized at a lower field rate of N than is currently recommended and that the volume of fertilizer applied to pecan orchards can be significantly reduced by minimizing the area in the orchard to which N fertilizer is applied and eliminating excessive applications to vegetated row middles, which apparently offer little additional benefit to pecan leaf N, pecan quality, or yield.


Agronomy ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 852
Author(s):  
Xiaohui Wang ◽  
Shuangli Liu ◽  
Xinhua Yin ◽  
Nacer Bellaloui ◽  
John H. Winings ◽  
...  

NPK fertilizer briquettes (NPKBriq) and organically enhanced N fertilizer (OENF), as newly developed fertilizer products, are reported to increase maize (Zea mays L.) yield and N use efficiency, but their effects on maize grain composition are unknown. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of NPKBriq and OENF on the protein, oil, fiber, ash, and starch of maize grain. A field study was conducted at Jackson and Grand Junction, TN, during 2012 and 2013, with NPKBriq, OENF, ammonium sulfate ((NH4)2SO4) (+P and K), and urea (+P and K) as the main treatments and 0, 85, 128, and 170 kg N ha−1 as the sub treatments under a randomized complete block split plot design with four replicates. The fiber concentration was more responsive to the fertilizer source than the protein, oil, ash, and starch concentrations. OENF resulted in a higher fiber concentration than NPKBriq at 85 kg N ha−1 in 2013, averaged over the two sites. Both OENF and NPKBriq had nearly no significant effects on the concentrations of the quality attributes compared with ammonium sulfate and urea. In conclusion, the nutrient-balanced NPKBriq exerts the same or greater effects on maize grain quality relative to the commonly used nutrient management practices of urea (+P and K) and ammonium sulfate (+P and K) under normal weather conditions. OENF is an alternate N source to urea and ammonium sulfate for similar to higher maize grain quality.


2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (23) ◽  
pp. 4731-4745 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicholas Cowan ◽  
Peter Levy ◽  
Andrea Moring ◽  
Ivan Simmons ◽  
Colin Bache ◽  
...  

Abstract. Three different nitrogen (N) fertiliser types, ammonium nitrate, urea and urea coated with a urease inhibitor (Agrotain®), were applied at standard rates (70 kg N ha−1) to experimental plots in a typical and intensively managed grassland area at the Easter Bush Farm Estate (Scotland). The nitrogen use efficiency of the fertilisers was investigated as well as nitrogen losses in the form of nitrous oxide fluxes (N2O) and ammonia (NH3) during fertilisation events in the 2016 and 2017 growing seasons. Nitrous oxide was measured by the standard static chamber technique and analysed using Bayesian statistics. Ammonia was measured using passive samplers combined with the Flux Interpretation by Dispersion and Exchange over Short Range (FIDES) inverse dispersion model. On average, fertilisation with ammonium nitrate supported the largest yields and had the highest nitrogen use efficiency, but as large spatial and seasonal variation persisted across the plots, yield differences between the three fertiliser types and zero N control were not consistent. Overall, ammonium nitrate treatment was found to increase yields significantly (p value < 0.05) when compared to the urea fertilisers used in this study. Ammonium nitrate was the largest emitter of N2O (0.76 % of applied N), and the urea was the largest emitter of NH3 (16.5 % of applied N). Urea coated with a urease inhibitor did not significantly increase yields when compared to uncoated urea; however, ammonia emissions were only 10 % of the magnitude measured for the uncoated urea, and N2O emissions were only 47 % of the magnitude of those measured for ammonium nitrate fertiliser. This study suggests that urea coated with a urease inhibitor is environmentally the best choice in regards to nitrogen pollution, but because of its larger cost and lack of agronomic benefits, it is not economically attractive when compared to ammonium nitrate.


Author(s):  
Osmar B. Scremin ◽  
José A. G. da Silva ◽  
Ângela T. W. de Mamann ◽  
Rubia D. Mantai ◽  
Ana P. Brezolin ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT The retainers of water in the soil can favor nitrogen (N) use efficiency in oat yield. The aim of the study was to determine if the conditions of use of the biopolymer hydrogel increase the fertilizer-N use efficiency in oat yield in succession systems of high and low residual-N release. In each succession system (soybean/oat, corn/oat), two experiments were conducted in 2014 and 2015, one to quantify biomass yield and the other to estimate grain yield and lodging. The design was randomized blocks with four replicates in a 4 x 4 factorial scheme for hydrogel doses (0, 30, 60 and 120 kg ha-1), added in the furrow with the seed, and N fertilizer doses (0, 30, 60 and 120 kg ha-1) applied in the fourth-expanded-leaf stage. The use of hydrogel increases N use efficiency in oat yield, especially under the conditions of 30 to 60 kg ha-1 of biopolymer; however, this effect is dependent on the succession system and on weather conditions.


1988 ◽  
Vol 68 (2) ◽  
pp. 457-470 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. UKRAINETZ ◽  
C. A. CAMPBELL

A 5–yr study was conducted on a Dark Brown loam at Scott, Saskatchewan to determine the effect of rate of ammonium nitrate-N (34–0–0) and urea-N (46–0–0) on bromegrass (Bromus inermis Leyss.) production and quality, N recovery and N use efficiency when the N was applied either annually or as a single application at the start of the experiment. The effect of phosphorus (P) on the above listed parameters was also assessed. Each N source was applied at once-only rates of 0, 100, 200, 400, and 800 kg ha−1 and annual rates were 0, 50, 100 and 200 kg ha−1. Phosphorus was applied in 1976, 1979 and 1981 at 100 kg ha−1 P2O5. Forage dry matter was positively related to precipitation received in April–June (r = 0.91**) and in April of the crop year plus the previous September (r = 0.80**). Dry matter response to N rates generally increased at a decreasing rate in early years but linearly in later years. Over the first 4 yr, annual applications of N resulted in up to 37% more dry matter than the single applications. Dry matter production was generally greater when ammonium nitrate was applied than when urea was used; these differences were more consistent at medium N rates. Dry matter was increased by P only when N was applied. Nitrogen concentration in forage was directly related to N rate in years of good precipitation, was greater in dry than wet years, and when N was applied annually, but was unaffected by N source. Phosphorus fertilization increased P concentration of forage but heavy dry matter production reduced P concentration. Annual N applications increased P concentration in forage only in the first year and N source had no effect. Toxic concentrations of NO3–N in the forage occurred in the first year only at N rates [Formula: see text] and were directly related to the amount of N applied. Except for the 800 kg ha−1 N rate in the second year, there were no further indications of NO3–N toxicity. Accumulated N use efficiency decreased linearly with increasing N rate and was greater for ammonium nitrate than for urea except at very high N rates. Accumulated N recovery was inversely related to N rate for the single method of application but unaffected by N rate applied annually. Over the first 4 yr, accumulated N recovery was greater for the single application at low N rates, but was greater for annual applications of N at high N rates. P fertilization increased N recovery.Key words: N source, bromegrass, N recovery, yield, quality, application method


1998 ◽  
Vol 78 (4) ◽  
pp. 589-595 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. S. Malhi ◽  
K. Heier ◽  
M. Zhang ◽  
M. Nyborg

In central Alberta, surface-broadcast urea is usually less effective in increasing grass forage yield than ammonium nitrate (AN) due to volatilization loss. A 2-yr field experiment was conducted in 1994 and 1995 on meadow bromegrass (Bromus bibersteinii Roem and Shult 'Regar') at Eckville, Alberta to compare a number of synthetic con-trolled-release urea fertilizers with conventional urea and AN fertilizers for their effect on dry matter yield (DMY), protein yield (PY), N-use efficiency (NUE) and percent N recovery (NR). The N fertilizers were applied at 100 kg N ha−1 in early June of 1994 and mid-April of 1995. The meadow bromegrass was harvested three times during the May to September growing season. In both years there was a significant forage yield response to applied N. In 1994, the DMY, PY, NUE and NR were similar for urea and AN, and most of the treated urea products were inferior to urea alone. This was most likely due to delayed application of N fertilizer until just before the start of summer rains. In 1995, urea had lower DMY (by 874 kg ha−1), PY (by 177 kg ha−1), NUE (by 8.8 kg DM kg−1 N ha−1) and NR (by 27.3%) than AN. Some of the coated urea products (e.g., Sh. 19, Sh. G) gave significantly greater DMY, PY, NUE and NR than urea alone, though still less than AN. These results suggest that under conditions when surface-applied urea is inferior to AN, its effectiveness can be improved by using Sh. 19 and Sh. G controlled-release urea fertilizers on grassland. The controlled-release fertilizers may be more expensive and therefore, additional cost must be considered as compared with AN before using on a commercial basis. Key words: Ammonium nitrate, bromegrass, controlled-release N fertilizers, forage yield, N recovery, urea


1988 ◽  
Vol 68 (3) ◽  
pp. 687-703 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. UKRAINETZ ◽  
C. A. CAMPBELL ◽  
R. P. ZENTNER ◽  
M. MONREAL

A 9-yr study was conducted on a Gray Luvisolic loam at Loon Lake, Saskatchewan to determine the effect of ammonium nitrate-N (34–0–0) and urea-N (46–0–0) on bromegrass (Bromus inermis Leyss.) production and nutrient quality, N recovery, and N use efficiency when the N was applied either annually or as a single application at the start of the experiment. The effects of phosphorus (P) and sulphur (S) were also assessed. Each N source was applied at single rates of 0, 100, 200, 400 and 800 kg ha−1 N and annual rates of 0, 50, 100 and 200 kg ha−1 N. The ammonium nitrate was also applied as a single dose at rates of 600 and 1000 kg ha−1 N. Phosphorus and S were applied every second year at 224 kg ha−1 P2O5 and 45 kg ha−1 S. Forage dry matter yields were positively related to precipitation received in May and July, and April–May, but negatively related to June precipitation. Forage dry matter production was greater over the first 8-yr period for annual N applications than for a single application receiving an equivalent amount of N; but fertilizer N recovered in forage over the same period was similar (about 30%) for the two methods of application. Dry matter yields were 19% greater after 4 yr and 26% greater after 8 yr when ammonium nitrate was used compared to urea. Recovery of fertilizer N in forage also favored the ammonium nitrate source. The application of low to moderate N rates depressed forage N and P concentrations when yield response was high but concentrations were increased by the highest rates of N fertilizer and by repeated annual applications of N. Toxic concentrations of NO3-N occurred in bromegrass in the first year when N was applied at or above 400 kg ha−1 as one application and also in the second year when N was applied at 800 kg ha−1. When N was applied annually at 200 kg ha−1, NO3-toxicity became a potential problem in later years as soil mineral N accumulated. Phosphorus and S fertilizers increased dry matter yields of forage; P fertilizer increased and S decreased forage P concentration. Annual N applications resulted in more uniform year-to-year yields and N uptake response compared to a single application and provided greater dry matter production without loss of nutritive quality. It was concluded that, in contrast to reports in the literature, the response of forage grasses to N is not site specific.Key words: N source, N recovery, N application method, N use efficiency, phosphorus, sulfur


2002 ◽  
Vol 139 (1) ◽  
pp. 11-25 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. J. READMAN ◽  
C. P. BECKWITH ◽  
P. S. KETTLEWELL

A field experiment was carried out at Harper Adams in Shropshire to investigate the effect of supplying the spring N application to winter wheat as different proportions of urea as a solution, rather than as conventional soil-applied solid urea, on N recovery in the above-ground crop, autumn soil mineral N and nitrate leaching over the subsequent winter. A solid ammonium nitrate treatment was also included to represent alternative commercial practice to solid urea. Treatments were repeated on the same plots over the 3 years 1992, 1993 and 1994. N recovery was measured in all 3 years by difference in N uptake between fertilized and unfertilized plots, and in 1993 for selected treatments, N was applied as 15N-labelled fertilizer to determine direct uptake of fertilizer N in the crop and soil. Both urea sprays and solid soil N applications were labelled with 15N. Urea sprays were split over several days to reduce scorch, whereas solid fertilizer was applied as a single dressing. For some urea spray treatments, apparent N recovery in the above-ground crop in 1992 and 1994 was less compared with soil-applied N treatments. These urea spray treatments were applied in the morning rather than the evening, and gaseous losses, most likely by volatilization, are suggested. In 1992 application of a large proportion of N as urea sprays, such that application of some N as urea solution was delayed to around GS 37, was associated with an increase in physiological N use efficiency. In 1993, there was no difference in direct or apparent recovery of fertilizer N in the crop or soil for N applied as ammonium nitrate, solid urea or as urea sprays. Mean nitrate concentration in the drainage water at 1 m was elevated for all N treatments in all years, but only in 1992 did nitrate concentration and leaching loss decrease with increasing proportion of N applied as urea sprays. It may therefore be possible to reduce gaseous losses by application of urea sprays under cool conditions in the evening and exploit the increased physiological N use efficiency for urea sprays applied later, such that total fertilizer N applied and N losses are reduced.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document