Ammonia volatilization losses from different fertilizers and effect of several urease inhibitors, CaCl2 and phosphogypsum on losses from urea

Abstract

The extent of ammonia volatilization losses from urea, ammonium sulphate (AS), and diammonium phosphate (DAP) were determined in soil incubation studies. The effects of some urease inhibitors (thiourea, hyroquinone, 2–4 dinitro phenol and boric acid) and CaCl2 and phosphogypsum additions on ammonia loss from urea were also studied. Total ammonia volatilization losses were 32.6%, 3.1% and 2.3% of the N applied to the soil as urea, AS and DAP, respectively. Among the chemicals examined in the study, 500 mg H3BO3 in 1 kg of the soil decreased the ammonia loss from urea by 21% in comparison with the control. When 50 mg/kg soil of thiourea, 2–4 dinitro phenol or hydroquinone were applied, ammonia volatilization losses were found to be 10%, 3% and 0% less than urea applied alone, respectively. When 2500 mg CaCl2 was applied to 1 kg of soil with urea, ammonia loss was decreased by 5%. The lowest hydrolysis rate (65%) occurred with the boric acid treatment. The differences between the hydrolysis rates of the other treatments were not statistically significant. Phosphogypsum was found the most effective agent in reducing ammonia losses from urea. When phosphogypsum was mixed at 2.3 times as much as the urea, ammonia loss was about 85% less than that of urea applied alone. Obviously, further work is needed to find out the potential of both boric acid and phosphogypsum as reducing agents of ammonia losses from urea.