IFDC Report, Volume 7, No. 3

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Date
1982-09
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This report highlights the potential of inhibitors in mitigating nitrogen losses in agricultural practices. Specifically, it focuses on urease inhibitors added to topdressed urea fertilizer to reduce ammonia loss in rice cultivation. The main challenge faced by inefficient urea utilization for rice is ammonia loss. Previous research has identified deep placement of supergranules and surface application of slow-release urea fertilizer as effective methods to reduce this loss. Now, researchers are exploring the use of inhibitors to delay the conversion of urea to ammonia, allowing plants to compete and minimize losses. One promising inhibitor is phenyl phosphorodiamidate (PPD), which has been shown to increase urea recovery by rice and reduce losses significantly. PPD inhibits the decomposition of urea fertilizer to ammonia and carbon dioxide by slowing down the action of the enzyme urease present in the soil. The report emphasizes that incorporating a small amount of the inhibitor in the urea used by farmers would not require any changes in existing farming practices. The researchers evaluate the urea-PPD product in field trials in the Philippines and the Fujian Province in China. This research is significant to rice-growing areas in the developing world, where urea is the primary fertilizer used. By reducing ammonia losses, farmers can enhance the benefits of applied urea, increase rice production to address food security and improve the livelihoods of rural communities.
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Ammonia, Fertilizers
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