Efficacy of a novel urease inhibitor in reducing ammonia volatilization losses and increasing N uptake and grain yield from fall versus spring applied urea-based N fertilizer

本研究的总体目标是减少尿素基氮肥的氨挥发损失，弥补秋、春施氮肥的效率差距。Active AgriProducts （AAP）正在开发一种新型脲酶抑制剂（ARM-U），该抑制剂考虑了现有产品的一些弱点。该公司对ARM-U在温室和田间的效果进行了评估。田间和温室试验结果表明，ARM-U在减少尿素基肥料氨挥发方面与商业脲酶抑制剂一样有效。本研究将进一步评估ARM-U的一些独特特性，特别是其低温流动性和优越的颗粒覆盖率，通过检查ARM-U和其他现有的商业脲酶抑制剂在弥合秋季和春季施用氮肥之间的效率差距方面的潜力。以前的研究表明，在秋季施用氮肥的效率只有春季施用的80%。然而，农民更喜欢在秋天施肥，因为肥料更便宜，而且秋天施肥可以更好地管理春天的时间。由于我们已经表明，脲酶抑制剂，特别是ARM-U，在温室和田间有效地减少氨挥发，这些抑制剂也可能是一种有效的技术，以减少秋季和春季施用氮肥之间的效率差距。该研究将由一名研究生在一名技术人员和一名暑期学生的帮助下在现场和实验室进行，作为博士论文研究的一部分。该研究将证实低温流动性和增加颗粒覆盖率是否能提高秋季应用脲酶抑制剂的效果。它还将确定小麦和油菜对秋季和春季施用脲酶抑制剂的产量和氮吸收反应。我们有能力提供有关秋季低温对脲酶抑制剂功效影响的信息，以及它们弥补效率差距的能力，这对农民来说将是一个双赢的局面，他们可以在秋季施肥，而不会遭受任何产量损失。这将为加拿大农民提供经济和环境效益。********************

The overall objective of this study is to reduce ammonia volatilization losses from urea-based nitrogen (N) fertilizers and bridge the efficiency gap between fall and spring applied N fertilizer. Active AgriProducts (AAP) is in the process of developing a novel urease inhibitor (ARM-U) that takes into consideration some of the weaknesses of existing products. The company has evaluated the efficacy of ARM-U in the greenhouse and in the field. The results from the field and the greenhouse showed that ARM-U was as effective as commercial urease inhibitor in reducing ammonia volatilization from urea-based fertilizers. This study will further evaluate some of the unique characteristics of ARM-U, especially its low temperature fluidity and superior particle coverage by examining the potential of ARM-U and other existing commercial urease inhibitors to bridge the efficiency gap between fall and spring applied N fertilizer. Previous studies have shown that N fertilizer applied in the fall is only 80% as efficient as that applied in the spring. Nevertheless, farmers prefer to apply fertilizers in the fall because fertilizers are cheaper and fall application makes for better time management in the spring. Since we have shown that urease inhibitors in general, and ARM-U in particular, were effective in reducing ammonia volatilization in the greenhouse and in the field, these inhibitors may also be an effective technology for reducing the efficiency gap between fall and spring applied N fertilizers. The study will be carried out by a graduate student with help from a technician and a summer student in the field and in the laboratory as part of a doctoral thesis research. The study will confirm if low temperature fluidity and increased particle coverage improves the efficacy of fall applied urease inhibitors. It will also determine yield and N uptake responses of wheat and canola to urease inhibitors applied in the fall and spring. Our ability to provide information on the effect of low fall temperature on the efficacy of urease inhibitors and their ability to bridge the efficiency gap will be a win-win situation for farmers who can apply their fertilizers in the fall, without suffering any yield penalty. This will provide both economic and environmental benefits to Canadian farmers.********************