Crop yield and soil nitrogen dynamics in an intermittently flooded rice field affected by nitrification inhibitors

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted to study yield and soil N dynamics in an irrigated, intermittently submerged rice field at New Delhi, India, where chemically synthesized as well as neem derived urea coating nitrification inhibitors with prilled urea were applied. Rice (var. IR-32) was grown on a Typic Ustochrept alluvial soil. No nitrogen (control), prilled urea alone, prilled urea mixed with dicyandiamide (DCD), neem (powdered Azadirachta indica Juss. seeds) coated urea and Nimin (commercial derivative of neem) coated urea were tested for their efficacy in regulating yield and conservation of N. None of the inhibitors could increase biomass or grain yield over urea. But all the inhibitors were able to conserve soil ammonium and DCD was the most efficient nitrification inhibitor followed by Nimin coated urea. N-uptake, recovery, physiological and agronomic efficiencies were highest in urea treated plots. The performances of all the inhibitors were against the popular trend where crop yield and N-uptake were enhanced by their application. But, more studies are required on the performance of these inhibitors in rice fields to come to a stronger conclusion.

Keywords:

• Dicyandiamide
• neem coated urea
• nimin coated urea
• IR-32
• India