Corn Cropping System And Nitrogen Fertilizers Technologies Affect Ammonia Volatilization In Brazilian Tropical Soils

Abstract

With the advance of the no-tillage system (NT system) in Brazil, the adoption of technologies for nitrogen fertilization in these soils become essential for increasing the efficiency of N use in the system. In this sense, the objective of this study was to quantify ammonia losses, N removal in grains, and with 2nd crop yield in NT system and conventional (T system) planting areas that received application of different N fertilizers and their technologies. Ammonia volatilization, N extraction in grains and corn yield in response to the application of conventional fertilizers were compared to urease inhibitors treated urea in NT and T systems. The treatments were: no-N (Control); Prilled urea (PU); urea + NBPT (UNBPT); urea + Cu + B (UCuB); ammonium nitrate (AN), and ammonium sulfate (AS). In the NT system, the N-NH3 losses were 49% greater than in the T system; without differences for corn yield. The fertilizers as AN, and AS had the lowest N-NH3 losses, regardless of tillage system. UNBPT reduced the mean N-NH3 loss by 33% compared to PU. UNBPT (1,200 mg kg-1) and UNBPT (180 mg kg-1) reduced by 72% and 22% the N-NH3 losses compared to PU in the NT system.