Summary
This field study employed 15N isotopic tracing to quantify how the nitrification inhibitor DMPSA influences the fate of ammonium nitrate in irrigated maize, with particular attention to plant uptake versus loss pathways. The work provides empirical evidence on DMPSA efficacy under UK intensive cereal production conditions, though effectiveness appeared contextual to soil properties, temperature, and irrigation regime. The findings contribute to understanding how chemical nitrification inhibitors might be optimised to improve nitrogen use efficiency and reduce losses in irrigated arable systems.
UK applicability
The study was conducted under UK conditions and directly addresses nitrogen management in intensive cereal production systems common in the United Kingdom. The contextual variation in DMPSA efficacy observed suggests that inhibitor performance in UK farming will depend on local soil type and water management, requiring adaptive application strategies.
Key measures
15N recovery in plant tissue, soil mineral nitrogen, nitrous oxide emissions, nitrate leaching, and nitrification inhibitor efficacy under varying soil properties, temperature, and irrigation regimes
Outcomes reported
The study quantified nitrogen partitioning in irrigated maize using 15N isotopic tracing to determine how the nitrification inhibitor DMPSA affects ammonium nitrate fate, plant uptake, and nitrogen loss pathways. The research measured nitrogen recovery in plant biomass, soil, and gaseous losses under contrasting soil and irrigation conditions.
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