Effect of fertiliser application rates on grain maize yield using nitrogen stabilisers in a dark-grey podzolised soil
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.32636/01308521.2026-(80)-1-5Keywords:
urea, urease inhibitor, nitrapyrin, easily hydrolysable nitrogen, ammonium, grain yield, correlation modelsAbstract
The nitrogen cycle in soil is driven by bacteria, archaea, fungi, and algae, which mediate the transformation of fertiliser nitrogen in ways and at rates that are not always desirable. Consequently, the efficiency of nitrogen fertilisation in terms of crop yield does not exceed 60–70 %. The remaining nitrogen is absorbed by soil colloids and microbiota, while the largest proportion is lost to the atmosphere. As a result of uncontrolled nitrification, a substantial proportion of nitrogen salts enters the subsoil horizons beyond the rhizosphere and reaches groundwater. Therefore, our aim was to evaluate synthetic nitrogen stabilisers applied to soil that inhibit urea decomposition and slow down the formation of nitrates from ammonium derived from fertilisers and soil organic matter. Under the conditions of the Western Forest-Steppe, on a dark-grey forest light loamy soil, it was established that the application of conventional urea and
PULREA® + INu urea in combination with the N-Lock™ inhibitor to Pioneer P8834 hybrid grain maize resulted in a significant increase in grain yield with increasing nitrogen rates from N90 to N₁₅₀ on a background of N1,25Р69,4К81,3Mg34S24,6 (autumn and pre-sowing applications) under the influence of nitrogen stabilisers. The highest mean grain yield over the two-year study period, 16.4 t/ha, was obtained with the N₁₅₀ rate applied before cultivation on a phosphorus–potassium background in the form of PULREA® + INu urea combined with N-Lock™. The urease inhibitor NBPT incorporated into the urea increased grain yield by 0.4 t/ha, whereas nitrapyrin increased it by 0.5 t/ha compared with the application of conventional urea at the N₁₅₀ rate. This increase was statistically significant (LSD₀₅ = 0.4 t/ha in 2024 and 0.3 t/ha in 2025). Statistical and graphical models of the identified relationships demonstrated that the application rates N0-1,25-90-120-150 had a statistically significant positive effect on the enrichment of soil with plant-available forms of nitrogen, which were closely correlated with one another
(r = 0.84–0.98). Most importantly, these nitrogen application rates had a statistically significant positive effect on grain maize yield, with correlation coefficients ranging from r = 0.79–0.96.
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