Rate and mode of application of the urease inhibitor N-(n-butyl) thiophosphoric triamide on ammonia volatilization from surface-applied urea

A laboratory study evaluated the effect of rate (0, 100, 250, 500, 750 or 1000 mg/kg) and mode of application of the urease inhibitor N -( n -butyl) thiophosphoric triamide (nBTPT) (coating the urea granule, adding to the urea melt or adding to urea ammonium nitrate (UAN) solutions) on NH₃ volatilization from urea, at three temperatures (5, 15 and 25 °C), with four contrasting soil types. Daily ammonia loss was measured for up to 21 days after surface N application, using ventilated soil enclosures. Ammonia loss from unamended urea varied with soil type and temperature and ranged from 8.2 to 31.9% of the N applied. nBTPT was highly effective in lowering NH₃ volatilization from urea and in delaying the time of maximum rate of loss. The average % inhibition over all soils, temperatures and formulations was 61.2, 69.9, 74.2, 79.2 and 79.8% for the 100, 250, 500, 750 or 1000 mg/kg nBTPT concentration, respectively. The % inhibition with nBTPT was lower at 15 °C compared with at 5 or 25 °C and was lower in UAN solutions than in granular products. There was little difference between the melted and coated granular products in lowering NH₃ loss or in soil N transformations. The stability of nBTPT in urea products was dependent on its mode of application and on the storage temperature. Incorporating nBTPT in the urea melt produced a more homogeneous product with superior stability than coating the urea granule.