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Crop and Pasture Science Crop and Pasture Science Society
Plant sciences, sustainable farming systems and food quality
RESEARCH ARTICLE

The impact of urease inhibitor on the bioavailability of nitrogen in urea and in comparison with other nitrogen sources in ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.)

K. Dawar A , M. Zaman B , J. S. Rowarth C , J. Blennerhassett B and M. H. Turnbull A D
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Private Bag 4800, Christchurch, New Zealand.

B Summit-Quinphos (NZ) Ltd, Private Bag 12508, Tauranga Mail Centre, Tauranga 3143, New Zealand.

C Institute of Natural Resources, Massey University, Private Bag 11222, Palmerston North, New Zealand.

D Corresponding author. Email: matthew.turnbull@canterbury.ac.nz

Crop and Pasture Science 61(3) 214-221 https://doi.org/10.1071/CP09205
Submitted: 10 July 2009  Accepted: 11 January 2010   Published: 9 March 2010

Abstract

Improving nitrogen (N)-use efficiency of applied urea is critical to maximise its uptake and decrease environmental impact. Two glasshouse-based studies were conducted to investigate the potential of incorporating urea fertiliser with urease inhibitor (N-(n-butyl) thiophosphoric triamide (NBPT) or ‘Agrotain’) to enhance fertiliser N uptake efficiency. Topsoil (0–0.075 m, Typic Haplustepts silt loam) from a pasture site near Lincoln, Canterbury, New Zealand, was collected and ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) was grown from seed in standard plant trays maintained at soil moisture contents of 75–80% field capacity. Urea, Agrotain-treated urea, ammonium nitrate, ammonium sulfate, or sodium nitrate, were applied in granular form at rates equivalent to 25 or 50 kg N/ha with 4 replicates. Herbage was harvested 21 and 42 days after application of treatments to assess dry matter (DM) production, N uptake, leaf amino acid, ammonium (NH4+) and nitrate (NO3) concentrations, and nitrate reductase activity (NRA). In a separate pot experiment, granular 15N urea (10 atom%) with or without Agrotain was applied to ryegrass at 25 kg N/ha. At 0.5, 1, 2, 3, 5, 10, and 21 days after treatment application, 3 pots per treatment were destructively sampled to determine urea hydrolysis, herbage DM, and 15N uptake. In both experiments, Agrotain-treated urea improved bio-availability of added N and resulted in significantly higher herbage DM yield and N uptake than urea alone or other forms of N fertilisers. Agrotain-treated urea applied at 25 kg N/ha increased N response by 66% compared with urea alone (and by greater proportions compared with the other fertiliser forms). Agrotain-treated urea applied at 25 kg N/ha produced significantly higher uptake efficiency (13 g DM/g of applied N) than at 50 kg N/ha (5 g DM/g of applied N). Tissue amino acids, NH4+ and NO3 contents, and NRA were not significantly influenced by any type of fertiliser. Results from the 15N experiment support the suggestion that a delay in urea hydrolysis by Agrotain provided an opportunity for direct plant uptake of an increased proportion of the applied urea-N than in the case of urea alone. Treating urea with Agrotain thus has the potential to increase N-use efficiency and herbage production.

Additional keywords: Agrotain, herbage dry matter, hydrolysis, N response, 15N, N-(n-butyl) thiophosphoric triamide (NBPT).


Acknowledgments

The authors thank Summit Quinphos (NZ) Ltd for providing funding to support this project, and for preparing and coating the 15N urea with Agrotain. A University of Canterbury Doctoral Scholarship to KD is also gratefully acknowledged.


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