The Use of Urease Inhibitor Fertilizers (Agrotain) and Their Effect on Cereal Crops and Cotton Yield

Abstract

Many commercial compounds exist that promise the increasing efficiency of urea fertilizers by inhibiting urease activity in soils. Such a compound gaining in commercial importance in the last decades is N-(n-butyl) thiophosphoric triamide, broadly known with its registered trade name of "Agrotain". In this paper, the effect of nitrogen fertilizer dressings using Agrotain versus conventional (urea) fertilizers was studied under field conditions. In particular, the effect of three different nitrogen dressings using conventional N-fertilizers and Agrotain was investigated on the growth and final yield of (rainfed) durum wheat, and (irrigated) maize and cotton, grown on a fertile clay loamy soil in Velestino (Thessaly plain) area in central Greece in the year 2015. It was demonstrated that all three crops fertilized Agrotain obtained greater chlorophyll contents and reached significantly higher biomass and grain yields comparing to the crops receiving traditional nitrogen fertilization, obviously due to the more effective nitrogen release and uptake by the crops.Therefore, application of urease inhibitor fertilizers, such as Agrotain, might reduce nitrogen application dressings, reduce N-losses and nitrification, and their introduction to existing crop rotations is highly advisable.

Building a database for the quality characteristics of the Protected Designation of Origin saffron Krokos Kozanis, considering international trade requirements

“…However, excess precipitation in October is not possible to be addressed and the consequence may be detrimental for both the yield and the quality characteristics of the harvested pistils. The available data signify that the precipitation and the increase in mean annual temperature influence the annual growth cycle of the Crocus sativus L. crop in the Kozani region as in all areas of its cultivation [21][22][23][24].…”

Urea (NBPT) una alternativa en la fertilización nitrogenada de cultivos anuales

“…El suministro de urea NBPT, se ha evaluado con éxito en cultivos básicos como maíz, trigo, papa, girasol, algodón, chícharo y praderas, donde diversos investigadores reportan incrementos en el rendimiento por unidad de superficie y una mayor eficiencia en el uso de nitrógeno (Dawar et al, 2011;Gagnon et al, 2012;Kawakami et al, 2013;Zaman et al, 2013;Khan et al, 2014;Piña et al, 2014;Espíndula et al, 2016;Giannoulis et al, 2016;Vivian et al, 2018).…”

“…Con 60 kg N ha -1 de urea NBPT se obtuvo 37.5% más rendimiento de grano y 38% más de N absorbido con relación al suministro de 60 Kg N ha -1 de urea normal. Giannoulis et al (2016), probando diversas dosis de urea NBPT en trigo duro, descubrieron que con 120 kg ha -1 , el cereal alcanzó un rendimiento de 4 900 kg ha -1 , superando a los tratamientos 180 kg (4 880 kg ha -1 ) y 160 kg (4 290 kg ha -1 ) en producción de grano. Piña et al (2014) efectuaron una investigación donde asociaron girasol y chícharo (Pisum sativum L.) en función de diferentes niveles de urea de liberación lenta (NBPT) encontrando que con 80 kg ha -1 se maximizó la producción de aquenio (285.8 g m -2 ) y vaina verde (274.8 g m -2 ) respecto al testigo sin fertilizante (112.5 y 169.8 g m -2 , respectivamente).…”