Drug discovery-based approach identifies new nitrification inhibitors.

Area of Science:

• Agricultural Science
• Environmental Microbiology
• Soil Science

Background:

• Nitrogen fertilization is vital for food security but energy-intensive and causes environmental N pollution.
• Nitrification inhibitors in enhanced efficiency fertilizers (EEFs) aim to increase N use efficiency and reduce pollution.
• Current inhibitors have limitations and do not target all nitrifying microorganisms.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify broad-spectrum nitrification inhibitors using a drug discovery approach.
• To evaluate the efficacy of novel inhibitors in reducing nitrification and N losses in soil.
• To explore the potential of combining different inhibitor types for improved N management.

Main Methods:

• Screened 45,400 small molecules against various nitrifying microorganisms.
• Assessed inhibitor effectiveness in pure culture and subsequent ammonia consumption in soil.
• Co-applied archaea- and bacteria-targeting inhibitors to measure ammonium consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.

Main Results:

• Identified numerous potential nitrification inhibitors, but none targeted all nitrifier groups.
• Many effective inhibitors in culture showed reduced efficacy in soil.
• One archaea-targeting inhibitor proved effective in soil and, when combined with a bacteria-targeting inhibitor, surpassed current EEFs in reducing N loss and emissions.

Conclusions:

• Combining different types of nitrification inhibitors in EEFs is a promising strategy for optimizing N management.
• This approach can enhance nitrogen use efficiency and mitigate environmental N pollution.
• Developing novel, broad-spectrum nitrification inhibitors is crucial for sustainable agriculture.