Nitrogen release rates from slow- and controlled-release fertilizers influenced by placement and temperature

Controlled-release and slow-release fertilizers can effectively supply nitrogen (N) while mitigating N loss. To determine the suitability of these fertilizers for plants in semi-arid environments, these fertilizers need to be evaluated under varying placement and temperature conditions. Several urea fertilizers were evaluated, including: uncoated, sulfur-coated (SCU), polymer-coated-sulfur-coated (PCSCU), and polymer-coated (PCU) with projected release timings between 45 and 180 d. Nitrogen release was measured under daily fluctuating or static temperatures applied either to the surface or buried in the soil. A second experiment consisted of two PCU sources and added a hanging bag placement comparison and low and high soil moisture treatments. For the first Experiment, the N in uncoated urea released shortly after application. The SCU and PCSCU treatments released > 80% of the N before the first sampling date. With fluctuating temperatures, the PCU 45, 75, 120, and 180 incorporated into the soil released N within +9, +9, -22, and -68 d of their expected timing. However, they released their N within 35 d when surface applied. Conversely, with static temperatures, PCU products released slowly, releasing under 80% for the entire study. The second experiment verified these results and showed no difference between low and high moisture and minimal release with fertilizer not in contact with soil. Each coated fertilizer in these studies exhibited slow/control release properties, but the PCU (surface applied) and SCU/PCSCU (surface applied or incorporated in soil) release was much more rapid than expected. Our research suggests that, although the SCU and PCSCU showed minimal slow-release properties (regardless of placement), the PCU fertilizers incorporated in the soil do have a controlled release approximate to what is expected, but have a much more rapid release when surface applied.