Effects of different nitrification inhibitors on nitrification, maize yield, and nitrogen use efficiency in red soil

We examined the effects of nitrification inhibitors (NIs) on soil nitrification, maize yield and nitrogen use efficiency (NUE), aiming to screen out high efficiency stabilized ammonium chloride fertilizer in red soil. Nitrification inhibitors 2-chloro-6-trimethyl-pyridine (CP), 3, 4-dimethyl-pyrazolate phosphate (DMPP), and dicyandiamide (DCD) and their combinations were added into ammonium chloride (NH₄Cl) to make six stabilized nitrogen fertilizers. With blank (CK) and NH₄Cl (N) as the controls, we conducted a maize pot experiment with the same amount of nitrogen addition. The results showed that compared with the treatment of N, soil ammonium content in CP+DMPP and DMPP+DCD increased by 56%-62%, which was significantly higher than that in CP, DMPP, and DCD, while the apparent nitrification rate of red soil was significantly reduced by 33%-34%. All the six treatments with nitrification inhibitors and their combinations significantly improved biomass and nitrogen absorption efficiency of maize. Compared with the N treatment, the application of adding NIs alone was significantly higher than that of the treatments of NIs combinations, with an average of 1.3 times increase. DCD was the most efficient one in improving maize yield, nitrogen uptake, and nitrogen adsorption efficiency, which increased by 4.1, 6.3 and 4.4 times, respectively. Comprehensively, DCD performed the best in reducing cost and improving yield and nitrogen use efficiency in red soil.