3,4-Dimethylpyrazole Phosphate (DMPP) Reduces Nitrogen Leaching in Three Tropical Soils and Improves the Agronomic Efficiency of Nitrogen Fertilizers Applied to Cotton

• Published in: Journal of soil science and plant nutrition Vol. 22; no. 2; pp. 2520 - 2533
• Main Authors: de Paulo, Ezio Nalin, Galindo, Fernando Shintate, Rabêlo, Flávio Henrique Silveira, Frazão, Joaquim José, Lavres, José
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cham Springer International Publishing 01-06-2022; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Accumulation; Agricultural production; Agriculture; Agronomy; Ammonium; Ammonium sulfate; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Cotton; Ecology; Efficiency; Environment; Fertilizer application; Fertilizers; Leaching; Life Sciences; Nitrates; Nitrification; Nitrogen; Original Paper; Plant Sciences; Polyvinyl chloride; Recovery; Sandy soils; Soil conditions; Soil improvement; Soil Science & Conservation; Soil texture; Soil types; Soil water; Soils; Tropical environments; Tropical soils; Urea; Ureas; Brazil; Urea; Ammonium sulfate nitrate; Leaching column study; L; Nitrate and ammonium leaching
• ISSN: 0718-9508; 0718-9516
• DOI: 10.1007/s42729-022-00824-w

Nitrification inhibitors applied to soil could reduce nitrogen (N) fertilizer leaching losses by delaying the nitrification process via enhanced N fertilizer management. Thus, we investigated the agronomic efficiency of the nitrification inhibitor 3,4-dimethylpyrazole phosphate (DMPP) applied in three tropical soils (Typic Quartzipsamment, Typic Hapludox and Rhodic Hapludox) cultivated with cotton plants, evaluating the fate of N (NH
4
+
-N, NO
3
−
-N, and total N in leached water and soil), N accumulation and N use efficiencies (agronomic, physiological, and recovery efficiencies). Five treatments were tested with each treatment consisting of two N sources applied, urea (U) and ammonium sulfate nitrate (ASN), either with or without DMPP application; an additional control treatment (absence of N application) was also tested. Leaching columns were used to assess NH
4
+
-N and NO
3
−
-N losses. DMPP improved the recovery efficiency from applied U and ASN fertilizers by reducing NO
3
−
-N and NH
4
+
-N leaching, leading to enhanced N acquisition from fertilizer and augmenting plant N accumulation and biomass. We found that agronomic efficiency in cotton plants increased from 4 to 52% with the DMPP + ASN source relative to ASN along the soil types. In addition, DMPP use increased agronomic efficiency from urea application from 32 to 91% relative to conventional urea. The use of DMPP would benefit from more urea than ASN mainly in sandy-textured soils, where the leaching losses were observed to be increased. The reduction in NO
3
−
-N and NH
4
+
-N losses highlights the potential of DMPP to mitigate the impact of N-based fertilizer application on N leaching, thereby improving agronomic efficiency, N uptake, and cotton growth–related responses under tropical soil conditions.