Influence of DCD and DMPP on soil N dynamics after incorporation of vegetable crop residues

Abstract

We have investigated the effect of two nitrification inhibitors, 3,4-dimethylpyrazole phosphate (DMPP) and dicyandiamide (DCD), on the accumulation of \({\text{NH}}^{{\text{ + }}}_{{\text{4}}} {\text{ - N}}\) and \({\text{NO}}^{ - }_{3} - {\text{N}}\) after incorporation of cauliflower residues in incubation experiments. Cauliflower leaves were incubated with soil and DCD or DMPP at two application rates [8.93 and 17.9 mg active component (ac) kg−1 for DCD; 0.89 and 1.79 mg ac kg−1 for DMPP]. Both doses of DCD and DMPP increased \({\text{NH}}^{ + }_{4} - {\text{N}}\) on average by 18.9 and 26.0 mg N kg−1 for DCD1 (during 30 days) and DCD2 (during 45 days), respectively, and on average by 14.4 mg N kg−1 for DMPP1 and DMPP2 during a period of at least 95 days. In DCD-treated soils, \({\text{NO}}^{{\text{ - }}}_{{\text{3}}} {\text{ - N}}\) data followed an S-shaped curve, indicating that nitrification restarted during the experiment: inhibition was on average 24% during 35 days for DCD1 and on average 45% during 49 days for DCD2. Thereafter, \({\text{NO}}^{ - }_{3} - {\text{N}}\) amount in DCD-treated soils exceeded that of the cauliflower-only treatment by 31% for DCD1 and 78% for DCD2, probably due to a nitrogen release from DCD itself and a priming effect induced by DCD. In DMPP-treated soils, \({\text{NO}}^{ - }_{3} - {\text{N}}\) data followed a linear pattern since nitrification was inhibited during the complete incubation (95 days): inhibition was on average 56 and 64% for DMPP1 and DMPP2, respectively. DMPP did not affect the N mineralization of the crop residues. Under favourable conditions, DCD is able to inhibit the nitrification from crop residues for 50 days and DMPP for at least 95 days. Hence, especially DMPP shows a potential to reduce \({\text{NO}}^{ - }_{3} \) leaching after incorporation of crop residues.