Nitrification inhibitor effect on manganese and phosphorus shoot concentrations in maize under different textured soils from northern Germany

Abstract

High soil pH can result in Mn²⁺ and P deficiency, leading to crop yield losses. Therefore, supplying soil with NH₄⁺-N fertilizer in stabilized or unstabilized form can increase soil Mn²⁺ availability and shoot concentration. Nitrification inhibitors (NIs) have been proposed to lower rhizosphere soil pH, thus improving plant P uptake and preventing P deficiency in soils with high pH. Thus, this study investigated whether NI-stabilized or unstabilized NH₄⁺-N could increase Mn²⁺ availability in three differently-textured soils (sand, loamy sand, and silt loam) and promote Mn²⁺ and P shoot concentration in maize. Two greenhouse experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of applying NH₄⁺-N fertilizer with or without the nitrification inhibitor 3,4-dimethylpyrazole phosphate (DMPP) combined with different nitrogen (N) sources (calcium nitrate (CN), ammonium nitrate (AN), and ammonium sulphate (AS)). The measured variables were bulk and rhizosphere soil pH and Mn²⁺ availability, maize biomass, as well as Mn²⁺ and P shoot concentrations. The results indicated that DMPP-stabilized AS significantly decreased rhizosphere pH by 7.2 % in loamy sand soil texture compared with unstabilized AS. Similarly, only in the loamy sand texture, DMPP-stabilized AS increased Mn²⁺ availability and shoot concentration by 86 % and 47 %, respectively, relative to unstabilized AS. Furthermore, DMPP-treated AS and AN promoted P shoot concentration by 30 % and 21 % in the loamy sand and silt loam soil textures, respectively, relative to the corresponding N sources without DMPP. Conversely, DMPP did not impact the investigated variables in the sand texture for all N sources. Moreover, AN and AS increased biomass yield, Mn²⁺ availability, and shoot concentration by 72 %, 30 %, and 46 %, respectively, in relation to the CN fertilizer in the sand soil texture. In conclusion, this study confirmed the effectiveness of DMPP-induced rhizosphere acidification in enhancing Mn²⁺ and P shoot concentration in loamy sand soil textures, as well as P shoot concentration in fine-textured soil.