Guan'gai paishui xuebao (Apr 2023)

Effect of Alternative Drip Irrigation and Nitrification Inhibitors on Ammonia Volatilization and Soil Enzymatic Activity in a Summer Maize Field

  • YANG Le,
  • CAO Hui,
  • FU Yuanyuan,
  • ZHANG Yingying,
  • GAO Yang,
  • LIU Zhandong

DOI
https://doi.org/10.13522/j.cnki.ggps.2022443
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 42, no. 4
pp. 38 – 44

Abstract

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【Objective】 Nitrification inhibitors have been increasingly used over the last decades to reduce nitrogen loss from soil. The objective of this paper is to investigate the combined influence of irrigation and nitrification inhibitors on ammonia volatilization and enzymatic activity in soil. 【Objective】 The experiment was conducted in a summer maize field using 3,4-dimethylpyrazole phosphate (DMPP) as the nitrification inhibitor. There were four treatments: conventional subsurface drip irrigation with (DI+DMPP) and without (DI+NO) applying DMPP, alternate subsurface drip irrigation with (ADI+DMPP) and without (ADI+NO) applying DMPP. In each treatment, we measured the ammonia volatilization rate at different growing stages, accumulation of ammonia volatilization over the whole growth season, as well as enzymatic activities in the soil. 【Result】 Irrigation method and DMPP both affected NH3 volatilization, but the effect varied with growing stage. Applying DMPP increased ammonia volatilization rate significantly at jointing stage, heading stage, and filling stage, regardless of the irrigation method. It was found that the alternate drip irrigation reduced ammonia volatilization rate significantly but only at the booting stage. Compared to DI treatments, ADI treatments reduced ammonia volatilization accumulation by 12.70%~45.45%, but applying DMPP increased ammonia volatilization from both irrigation treatments significantly. At the heading stage, ADI treatments improved the activities of catalase, alkaline phosphatase and FDA hydrolase in the root zone, but had no significant effect on urease activity. Applying DMPP did not show a noticeable effect on enzymatic activity in the root zone. 【Conclusion】 Alternate surface drip irrigation without applying nitrification inhibitors can effectively reduce ammonia volatilization and nitrogen loss. It can be used as an improved agronomic method for sustainable production of maize in the studied area.

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