Improvement of the N fertilizer efficiency with dicyandiamide (dcd) in citrus trees

SUMMARYIn agricultural production systems, nitrogen (N) losses to the environment can occur through nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions and nitrate (NO3−) leaching. The objectives of the present study were to evaluate: (1) if urine excreted by non-lactating dairy cows pulse-dosed with dicyandiamide (DCD) and applied to lysimeters reduced N2O-N emissions and NO3−-N leaching on two soil types; and (2) if urine + DCD would increase herbage production over winter. Lysimeters were used to measure N2O emissions and NO3-N leaching. The soils used were a free-draining acid brown earth of sandy loam to loam texture (termed free-draining) and a poorly drained silt loam gley (termed poorly drained). Grass plots were established on the free-draining soil to measure herbage production. The N loading rate of the urine + DCD was 508 kg N/ha and the urine without DCD (urine only) was 451 kg N/ha. Total NO3−-N leaching losses from the free-draining and poorly draining soils were reduced from 100 and 81 kg NO3−-N/ha on the urine-only treatment, respectively, to 9 and 11·6 kg NO3−-N/ha on the urine + DCD treatment, respectively. Total N2O-N emissions from the free-draining and poorly drained soils were reduced significantly from 13·6 and 12·1 kg N2O-N/ha on the urine-only treatment, respectively, to 2·23 and 5·24 kg N2O-N/ha on the urine + DCD treatment, respectively. Applying urine with DCD to pastures inhibited the nitrification process for up to 56 days after treatment application. In the current experiment, there was no significant effect on spring herbage production when urine + DCD was applied to grass plots. Therefore, feeding DCD to dairy cows to apply DCD directly in urine patches was shown to be an effective mitigation strategy to reduce NO3−-N leaching and N2O-N emissions but did not appear to increase spring herbage production.

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“…These bacteria are responsible for the first step of the nitrification process (Serna et al . 1996). In Ireland, Dennis et al .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Applying urine collected from non-lactating dairy cows dosed with dicyandiamide to lysimeters and grass plots: effects on nitrous oxide emissions, nitrate leaching and herbage production

et al. 2015

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“…Dicyandiamide (DCD) has been proven to be effective in reducing nitrification rates (Cookson and Cornforth,4) and nitrate leaching (Williamson et al,13). Previous studies demonstrated that the nitrification inhibitor (NI) dicyandiamide (DCD) added to ammonium sulphate nitrate (ASN) improved the N-fertilizer efficiency and reduced NO 3 leaching in young and mature citrus trees (Serna et al,10,11). In addition to synthetic nitrification inhibitors, natural products from the neem (Azardirachta indica Juss) are reported to have nitrification inhibiting properties and widely used in under field conditions.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effect of different nitrogen sources and nitrification inhibitors on soil nitrogen distribution in Kinnow orchard

Dhakar¹,

Singh²,

Patel³

et al. 2015

Ind. Jour. of Hort.

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A field experiment was conducted on 2-year-old Kinnow mandarin to find out effect of different nitrogen sources and nitrification inhibitors on ammonical and nitrate nitrogen distribution in Kinnow young plants during 2011-12. There were 13 treatments comprising four nitrogen sources (ammonium sulphate, calcium nitrate, mixture of ammonium sulphate and calcium nitrate and urea), two nitrification inhibitor (dicyandiamide 5% of fertilizers, meliacin 0.1% of fertilizers) and control. Recommended fertilizers dose was applied in three splits, i.e. in February, June and September. Nitrification inhibitors were mixed with different nitrogenous fertilizers before application and then applied in the field. The process of nitrification slow down when N-fertilizers (ammonium sulphate, mixture of ammonium sulphate & calcium nitrate and urea) treated with DCD and meliacins. Thus the inhibitory effect of DCD and meliacins on the nitrification process resulted in more NH 4 + accumulation in soil. The concentration of NH 4 +-N in soil at 0-30 (44.1, 55.7, 42.7 mg kg-1 soil below drippers and 37.8, 41.9, 36.0 mg kg-1 soil at 30 cm away from drippers) and 30-60 cm depth (24.2, 20.2, 23.2 mg kg-1 soil below drippers and 20.0, 23.5, 23.6 mg kg-1 soil at 30 cm away from drippers) in all three split applications respectively, was significantly higher when ammonium sulphate followed by urea fertilizers treated with DCD than they are in alone form. Due to nitrification inhibitors, NO 3-N availability remains high on surface level, reduced NO 3 leaching and increase N fertilizer utilization efficiency in Kinnow production.

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“…The majority of this N is in excess of sward requirements and is often lost by nitrate (NO 3 − ) leaching through the soil profile or nitrous oxide (N 2 O) emissions, particularly over winter when grass growth rates are low. Nitrification inhibitors are being investigated in many countries as a strategy to mitigate NO 3 − leaching, denitrification and N 2 O emissions under urine patches (Serna et al, 1995). They therefore have the potential to increase N availability in the soil for grass growth, thereby increasing the N use efficiency of grazed swards, as well as reducing N losses to the environment (O'Connell et al, 2004).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…It is a white crystalline nitrogenous powder naturally broken down in the soil, with no traces of residue remaining beyond the cropping year (Amberger, 1989). Dicyandiamide slows the conversion of ammonium (NH 4 + ) to NO 3 − in the soil by interfering with the cytochrome oxidase in the respiratory electron transport system of Nitrosomonas bacteria, which are responsible for the first step of the nitrification process (Serna et al, 1995). Reductions in NO 3 − leaching and N 2 O emissions following the application of DCD have been reported by many authors including Moir et al (2007) and Dennis et al (2008).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The effect of the nitrification inhibitor dicyandiamide (DCD) on herbage production when applied at different times and rates in the autumn and winter

O’Connor

Hennessy

Brophy

et al. 2012

Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment

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The high rate of urine excreted during animal grazing in late autumn provides a source of nitrogen (N) to the growing sward and also provides the potential for losses of N over the winter months. This study was established to evaluate the potential of applying a nitrification inhibitor, dicyandiamide (DCD), to urine patches to increase N use efficiency in grassland. Four simulated grazing plot experiments were undertaken across two experimental sites, one a free-draining acid brown earth (Experiments 1 and 3) and the other a moderate to heavy brown earth soil (Experiments 2 and 4). Experiments 1 and 2 received no fertiliser N application, and Experiments 3 and 4 received a split application of 350 kg N fertiliser ha −1 year −1. The effect of applying the nitrification inhibitor dicyandiamide (DCD) at 5 or 10 kg DCD ha −1 in autumn and winter to plots receiving synthetic urine or zero urine on spring and annual herbage production was examined in all experiments. The application of DCD did not increase spring herbage production in any of the experiments. Over the two years, the application of 5 or 10 kg DCD ha −1 increased annual herbage production in Experiment 1 when applied to October and November deposited urine patches. Urine application increased herbage production in spring and annually in Experiments 1 and 2, and increased herbage crude protein content and herbage N uptake in all experiments. The application of urine increased soil ammonium and TON content in the 0-100 mm horizon at both sites. The application of 10 kg DCD ha −1 reduced surplus N in Experiment 1 when applied to October and November deposited urine. Overall the effects of DCD on herbage production, surplus N and other parameters in this study were not consistent.

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Improvement of the N fertilizer efficiency with dicyandiamide (dcd) in citrus trees

Cited by 7 publications

References 16 publications

Applying urine collected from non-lactating dairy cows dosed with dicyandiamide to lysimeters and grass plots: effects on nitrous oxide emissions, nitrate leaching and herbage production

Applying urine collected from non-lactating dairy cows dosed with dicyandiamide to lysimeters and grass plots: effects on nitrous oxide emissions, nitrate leaching and herbage production

Effect of different nitrogen sources and nitrification inhibitors on soil nitrogen distribution in Kinnow orchard

The effect of the nitrification inhibitor dicyandiamide (DCD) on herbage production when applied at different times and rates in the autumn and winter

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