THE EFFECT OF THE NITRIFICATION INHIBITOR DICYANDIAMIDE ON NITRATE LEACHING AND AMMONIA VOLATILIZATION - A UK NITRATE SENSITIVE AREAS PERSPECTIVE

The use of nitrification inhibitors as nitrate leaching retardants is a proposal that has been suggested for inclusion in the U.K. Nitrate S ensitive Areas scheme. In this study, the efficacy of the nitrificatio n inhibitor dicyandiamide (DCD) was tested in two simulated high-risk leaching situations: (a) ploughing-in of grassland, and (b) autumn app lication of inorganic N-fertiliser. DCD was found to have no significa nt effect on the total amount of nitrate leached in either of these ag ricultural scenarios. There were, however, indications that it may inc rease nitrogen losses associated with ammonia volatilisation. The envi ronmental implications of these findings are discussed. (C) 1995 Acade mic Press Limited