Subsurface-Applied Coated Nitrogen Fertilizer Enhanced Wheat Production by Improving Nutrient-Use Efficiency with Less Ammonia Volatilization

Muhammad Yaseen,Mohamed Z M Salem,Muhammad Naveed,Adnan Mustafa,Adeel Ahmad,Muhammad Asif Ali,Manzer H Siddiqui,Syed Shahid Hussain Shah,Hayssam M Ali,Muhammad Hasnain

doi:10.3390/agronomy11122396

Abstract

Nitrogen (N) is an essential plant nutrient, therefore, N-deficient soils affect plant growth and development. The excessive and unwise application of N fertilizers result in nutrient losses and lower nutrient use efficiency that leads to the low crop productivity. Ammonia volatilization causes a major loss after N fertilization that causes environmental pollution. This experiment was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of coating and uncoating N fertilizer in enhancing yield and nutrient-use efficiency with reduced ammonia emissions. The recommended rate of nitrogen and phosphorus, urea and di-ammonium phosphate (DAP) fertilizers were coated manually with 1% polymer solution. DAP (coated/uncoated) and potassium were applied at the time of sowing as subsurface application. While urea (coated/uncoated) was applied as surface and subsurface application. Results showed that nutrient use efficiencies of wheat were found to be maximum with the subsurface application of coated N fertilizer which increased nutrient-use efficiency by 44.57 (N), 44.56 (P) and 44.53% (K) higher than the surface application of uncoated N fertilizer. Ammonia emissions were found the lowest with subsurface-applied coated N fertilizer. Thus, coated fertilizer applied via subsurface was found the best technique to overcome the ammonia volatilization with an improvement in the yield and nutrient-use efficiency of wheat.

Highlights

The highest number of unfertile tillers (18.33) was recorded in treatment of subsurface-applied uncoated N fertilizer, while coated N fertilizers applied through same method significantly reduced this number
Total number of tillers and fertile tillers were slightly higher in treatments of coated N fertilizers applied in both methods of application
Overall, coated N fertilizers performed significantly better than uncoated N fertilizers under both the application methods

Summary

Introduction

N supply in excess of the crop’s demand leads to N losses as NO3− − N leaching [4,5,6], NH3 volatilization [7,8], N2 O/NO/N2 emission [9,10], etc., resulting in non-point-source pollution [11] global warming [12] and other negative environmental impacts. Among these losses, major N loss is via ammonia volatilization [13,14,15]. It’s critical to improve strategies in order to reduce negative environmental effects while sustaining crop yields [16]

Objectives

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion