The Combined Use of Liquid Fertilizer and Urease/Nitrification Inhibitors on Maize Yield, Nitrogen Loss and Utilization in the Mollisol Region

Abstract

Nitrification inhibitor (NI) and urease inhibitor (UI) with fertilizer have the potential to reduce nitrogen (N) loss as well as improve grain yields. Urea–ammonium nitrate (UAN) solution as liquid fertilizer is superior to conventional solid nitrogen (N) fertilizer in terms of fertilizer efficiency, energy savings, environmental pollution reduction and economic benefits. However, comprehensive assessments of UAN with inhibitors from an environmental and agronomy perspective, including insights into the mechanisms of UAN with inhibitors, are lacking. In a field trial, three single-inhibitor and two double-inhibitor (DI) treatments were set to quantify the grain yield, the N losses and the N recovery efficiency of maize treated with urea supplemented with dicyandiamide (DCD), 3,4-dimethylpyrazole phosphate (DMPP) and N-(n-butyl) thiophosphoric triamide (NBPT). Compared with the UAN treatment, the supply of urease inhibitors reduced NH3 emission by 13.0% but increased N2O emission by 13.0%. The supply of nitrification inhibitors delayed the conversion of ammonium N to nitrate N and improved NH3 emission by 23.5–28.7%, but reduced N2O emission by 31.4% and significantly increased the maize yield by 21.3%. The combined use of NBPT and DCD were not compatible in UAN and cannot achieve the maximum potential for optimizing yields and reducing nitrogen losses. Considering the grain yield, the N use efficiency and the N losses, the combined use of NBPT and DMPP in maize production system significantly improved the grain yield and N use efficiency, as well as reduced N losses.