Potassium Azide as a Nitrification Inhibitor
1970
Hughes, T. D. | Welch, L. F.
The effect of 0, 2, 4, 8, 16, and 32 ppm KN₃ on nitrification in soil was studied at 30 and 10 C. At both temperatures, KN₃ was an effective nitrification inhibitor. At 30 C, 75 ppm of added NH₄ + disappeared in 2 weeks where no KN₃ had been added as compared to 4 weeks at the 32 ppm KN₃ rate. At 10 C, 4 weeks were required for the NH₄ to disappear at 0 ppm KN₃) whereas more NH₄+ was present after 18 weeks than initially where 32 ppm KN₃ was applied. Concentrations of (NO₂⁻ + NO₃⁻)- N were found to be similar at all KN₃ rates once the NH₄+ had disappeared. This indicates that KN₃ had no effect on mineralization-immobilization relationships. The soil pH for both incubation temperatures was 6.8. The effect of 4 ppm KN₃ in soil incubated at 30 C was studied at soil pH levels of 4.5, 6.0, and 7.5. The NH₄-N and (NO₂⁻ + NO₃⁻)-N concentrations during 4 weeks incubation indicated that KN₃ did not inhibit nitrification at soil pH levels of 4.5 and 6.0 but that nitrification was inhibited at pH 7.5. At 30 C, KN₃ does not appear to be an effective nitrification inhibitor for soils of pH less than 6.0.
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