Effect of concentration, temperature, moisture, liming and organic matter on the efficacy of the nitrification inhibitors benzotriazole, o-nitrophenol, m-nitroaniline and dicyandiamide

Laboratory experiments were carried out to study the effect of various factors that affect the efficacy of the nitrification inhibitors, benzotriazole, o-nitrophenol, m-nitroaniline and dicyandiamide. In a Paleustalf, increasing concentrations of the inhibitors from 0 to 15 mg/kg soil prolonged the nitrification up to 60 days. Increase in temperature from 10 to 30 degrees C decreased the efficacy of all four nitrification inhibitors (by 6-62% at 30 days). Benzotriazole was equally effective in soil moisture conditions ranging from 40 to 80% of the maximum water holding capacity of the soil (WHC). o-Nitrophenol and m-nitroaniline were more effective at 60% WHC, while the efficacy of DCD was more at 40% WHC. Addition of 1000 mg/kg soil of fresh organic matter reduced the efficacies of o-nitrophenol, m-nitroaniline and benzotriazole by 55, 65 and 22%, respectively while the reduction in the efficacy of dicyandiamide was non-significant. Liming an acidic soil (Kandiustalf) to change the pH from 5.4 to 8.3 decreased the efficacies of the nitrification inhibitors and decreased the ammonium content in the soil at 30 days from 55 to 9 mg/kg in case of o-nitrophenol and m-nitroaniline and from 53 to 35 mg/kg in case of benzotriazole and dicyandiamide.