Using nitrification inhibitors to mitigate agricultural N₂ O emission: a double-edged sword?

Nitrification inhibitors show promise in decreasing nitrous oxide (N₂ O) emission from agricultural systems worldwide, but they may be much less effective than previously thought when both direct and indirect emissions are taken into account. Whilst nitrification inhibitors are effective at decreasing direct N₂ O emission and nitrate (NO₃^- ) leaching, limited studies suggest that they may increase ammonia (NH₃ ) volatilization and, subsequently, indirect N₂ O emission. These dual effects are typically not considered when evaluating the inhibitors as a climate change mitigation tool. Here, we collate results from the literature that simultaneously examined the effects of nitrification inhibitors on N₂ O and NH₃ emissions. We found that nitrification inhibitors decreased direct N₂ O emission by 0.2-4.5 kg N₂ O-N ha^-1 (8-57%), but generally increased NH₃ emission by 0.2-18.7 kg NH₃ -N ha^-1 (3-65%). Taking into account the estimated indirect N₂ O emission from deposited NH₃ , the overall impact of nitrification inhibitors ranged from -4.5 (reduction) to +0.5 (increase) kg N₂ O-N ha^-1 . Our results suggest that the beneficial effect of nitrification inhibitors in decreasing direct N₂ O emission can be undermined or even outweighed by an increase in NH₃ volatilization.