Evaluation of some phosphoroamides as soil urease inhibitors

Summary The effectiveness of six phosphoroamides for retardation of urea hydrolysis in soils was studied by determining the effects of 10 g g^–1 soil of each compound on the amounts of urea hydrolyzed when soils treated with urea were incubated at 10°, 20°, 30°, and 40°C for 3, 7, and 14 days. The phosphoroamides used wereN-(diaminophosphinyl)-cyclohexylamine,N-benzyl-N-methyl phosphoric triamide, diethyl phosphoric triamide, trichloroethyl phosphorodiamidate, dimethyl phosphoric triamide, andN-butyl phosphorothioic triamide N-(n-butyl) thiophosphoric triamide]. The soils used were selected to obtain a range in properties, and the effects of the six phosphoroamides studied were compared with those of two compounds known to be among the most effective compounds thus far proposed for retardation of urea hydrolysis in soils (phenylphosphorodiamidate and hydroquinone). The data obtained showed that all six of the phosphoroamides evaluated compared favorably with hydroquinone as soil urease inhibitors and that two of them N-butyl phosphorothioic triamide andN-(diaminophosphinyl)-cyclohexylamine] were superior to phenylphosphorodiamidate for retardation of urea hydrolysis in soils at 20°, 30°, or 40°C.