EVALUATION OF COMPACTED UREA FERTILIZERS PREPARED WITH ACID AND NONACID PRODUCING CHEMICAL ADDITIVES IN 3 SOILS VARYING IN PH AND CATION-EXCHANGE CAPACITY-I - NH3 VOLATILIZATION
Tj. Purakayastha et Jc. Katyal, EVALUATION OF COMPACTED UREA FERTILIZERS PREPARED WITH ACID AND NONACID PRODUCING CHEMICAL ADDITIVES IN 3 SOILS VARYING IN PH AND CATION-EXCHANGE CAPACITY-I - NH3 VOLATILIZATION, Nutrient cycling in agroecosystems, 51(2), 1998, pp. 107-115
Efficacy of different acid-producing chemical additives was evaluated
in terms of pH, urea hydrolysis, NH4-N dynamics and NH3 volatilization
in an Alfisol, a Vertisol and an Inceptisol. Compacting phosphogypsum
(PG), diammonium phosphate (DAP), ZnSO4 and KCI separately with urea
slowed down urea hydrolysis and reduced NH3 volatilization loss. Peak
volatilization loss of NH3 occurred between 2 to 4 days of fertilizer
application in Vertisol and Alfisol, but between 3 to 6 days in Incept
isol. Cation exchange capacity (CEC) of soil influenced more in reduci
ng NH3 loss than native soil pH, as lower amount of NH3 was lost from
Vertisol (pH=8.0, CEC=43.92 cmol(c) kg(-1)) than from Alfisol (pH=5.8,
CEC=13.82 cmol, kg(-1)). The loss from Inceptisol was in between the
above two soils.