Urea Hydrolysis of Tea Soils as Influenced by Incubation Period, Soil pH, and Nitrification Inhibitor

Abstract

Laboratory incubation studies were conducted with south Indian tea soils to investigate the influence of soil pH, incubation period, and nitrification inhibitor on urea hydrolysis. The soils used in this experiment were sampled from six different regions of south India. The physicochemical properties, urea hydrolysis as influenced by soil pH, incubation period, and nitrification inhibitor were determined. There was a strong positive correlation between urease activity and organic‐matter content of tea soils, whereas physicochemical properties failed to show any relationship with urease activity. The urease activity was highest in Munnar soils. At 25°C, the activity reached maximum within 15 days after fertilizer application, and it was considerably high up to 36 days in the soils of Anamallais, 18 days in Munnar, and 27 days in other zones studied, which revealed the minimum interval between two successive urea fertilizer applications. Soils of different zones showed a different pattern of urease activity when the soil pH was changed artificially between 4 and 5.5. Addition of nitrification inhibitor [dicyandiamide, DCD] to urea prevented nitrate ion formation, resulting in the accumulation of desirable ammonium ions.