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Cited by 84Soil Carbon and Nitrogen DynamicsAgricultural Science and FertilizationSoil and Water Nutrient Dynamics

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Nitrogen fertilisers with urease inhibitors reduce nitrous oxide and ammonia losses, while retaining yield in temperate grassland

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Krol, D.J., Forrestal, P.J., Wall, D., Lanigan, G.J., Sanz-Gomez, J., Richards, K.G.·2020·Science of The Total Environment
DOI 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.138329
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Abstract

Nitrogen fertilisation, although a cornerstone of modern agricultural production, negatively impacts the environment through gaseous losses of nitrous oxide (N 2 O), a potent greenhouse gas (GHG), and ammonia (NH 3), a known air pollutant. The aim of this work was to assess the feasibility of urea treated with urease inhibitors to reduce gaseous N losses in temperate grassland, while maintaining or improving productivity compared to conventional fertiliser formulations. Urease inhibitors were N-(n-butyl)-thiophosphoric triamide (NBPT) (urea + NBPT) and N-(n-propyl)-thiophosphoric triamide (NPPT) (urea+ NBPT + NPPT), while conventional fertilisers were urea and calcium ammonium nitrate (CAN). N 2 O emission factors were 0.06%, 0.07%, 0.09% and 0.58% from urea + NBPT, urea, urea + NBPT + NPPT and CAN, respectively, with CAN significantly higher than all the urea formulations, which were not significantly different from each other. Ammonia loss measured over one fertiliser application was significantly larger from urea, at 43%, compared with other formulations at 13.9%, 13.8% and 5.2% from urea + NBPT, urea + NBPT + NPPT and CAN, respectively. Changing fertiliser formulation had no significant impact on grass yield or N uptake in four out of five harvests. In the last harvest urea + NBPT significantly out-yielded urea, but not CAN or urea + NBPT + NPPT. Overall, urea treated with either one or both urease inhibitors significantly reduced emissions of N 2 O and NH 3, while preserving yield quantity and quality. Therefore, changing fertiliser formulation to these products should be encouraged as a strategy to reduce GHG and air pollution from agricultural practices in temperate climate.

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Metadata

Authors
Krol, D. J., Forrestal, P. J., Wall, D., Lanigan, G. J., Sanz-Gomez, J., & Richards, K. G.
Affiliations
  • Teagasc - The Irish Agriculture and Food Development Authority (IE)
  • BASF (Germany) (DE)
ORCID
Venue
Science of The Total Environment
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2020-07
Volume
725
Pages
138329
ISSN
0048-9697 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.138329
OpenAlex
W3014091779
Cited by
84
References
3
Citations by year
2026: 9 · 2025: 14 · 2024: 21 · 2023: 14 · 2022: 9 · 2021: 17
FWCI
6.63
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • The Science of The Total Environment (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Arrow@dit (Dublin Institute of Technology) (acceptedVersion)
  • T-Stór (Teagasc) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-sa)
Funders
  • BASF
  • Irish Research Council (EPSPD/2016/54)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Soil Science › Soil Carbon and Nitrogen Dynamics
  • Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Soil Science › Agricultural Science and Fertilization
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Environmental Chemistry › Soil and Water Nutrient Dynamics
Keywords
urease inhibitors, nitrous oxide emissions, ammonia volatilization, nitrogen fertiliser, temperate grassland, NBPT, urea, calcium ammonium nitrate, greenhouse gas emissions, air pollution, grass yield, nitrogen uptake

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