Nitrogen use efficiency with the application of controlled release fertilizers coated with Kraft pine lignin

The aim of the present paper is to assess the efficiency of several experimental fertilizers in a soil-plant system. The laboratory-prepared fertilizers consisted of granular urea coated with Kraft pine lignin. Five fertilizers were used with coatings differing in thickness and/or the addition of linseed oil as a sealing agent. The experiment was carried out in pots inside a glasshouse. The crop used was rye-grass. Results were compared with those from a urea control treatment without coating and a soil without fertilizer application.

The dry matter yield and the N uptake by the plant were higher in the treatments with coated controlled release fertilizers (CRF) than in those with uncoated urea. There was a lower nitrogen loss through leaching when using CRF (34 to 68%) was used than when using uncoated urea (over 74%) was used. The N use efficiency was lower for urea than for coated fertilizers. This index increased with the thickness of the coating and the addition of the sealing agent.