Skip to main content
Log in

Effect of N-(n-butyl) thiophosphoric triamide on hydrolysis of urea by plant, microbial, and soil urease

  • Published:
Biology and Fertility of Soils Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary

Comparison of the effects of N-(n-butyl) thiophosphoric triamide (NBPT) and phenylphosphorodiamidate (PPD) on hydrolysis of urea by plant (jackbean), microbial (Bacillus pasteurii), and soil urease showed that whereas NBPT was considerably more effective than PPD for inhibiting hydrolysis of urea added to soil, it was much less effective than PPD for inhibiting hydrolysis of urea by plant or microbial urease. Studies to account for this observation indicated that NBPT is rapidly decomposed in soil to a compound that is much more effective than NBPT for inhibition of urease activity and that this compound is N-(n-butyl) phosphoric triamide.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Beaton JD (1978) Urea: Its popularity grows as a dry source of nitrogen. Crop Soils 30:11–14

    Google Scholar 

  • Bremner JM, Chai HS (1986) Evaluation of N-butyl phosphorothioic triamide for retardation of urea hydrolysis in soil. Commun Soil Sci Plant Anal 17:337–351

    Google Scholar 

  • Bremner JM, Chai HS (1989) Effects of phosphoroamides on ammonia volatilization and nitrite accumulation in soils treated with urea. Biol Fertil Soils 8, in press

  • Chai HS, Bremner JM (1987) Evaluation of some phosphoroamides as soil urease inhibitors. Biol Fertil Soils 3:189–194

    Google Scholar 

  • Douglas LA, Bremner JM (1970) Extraction and colorimetric determination of urea in soils. Soil Sci Soc Am Proc 34:859–862

    Google Scholar 

  • Engelstad OP, Hauck RD (1974) Urea: Will it become the most popular nitrogen carrier? Crop Soils 26:11–14

    Google Scholar 

  • Harre EA, White WC (1985) Fertilizer market profile. In: Engelstad OP (ed) Fertilizer technology and use. Am Soc Agron, Madison. Wisc, pp 1–24

    Google Scholar 

  • Hauck RD (1984) Technological approaches to improving the efficiency of nitrogen fertilizer use by crop plants. In: Hauck RD (ed) Nitrogen in crop production. Am Soc Agron, Madison, Wisc, pp 551–560

    Google Scholar 

  • Gasser JKR (1964) Urea as a fertilizer. Soils Fert 27:175–180

    Google Scholar 

  • Mulvaney RL, Bremner JM (1979) A modified diacetylmonoxime method for colorimetric determination of urea in soil extracts. Commun Soil Sci Plant Anal 10:1163–1170

    Google Scholar 

  • Mulvaney RL, Bremner JM (1981) Control of urea transformations in soils. In: Paul EA, Ladd JN (eds) Soil biochemistry, vol 5. Dekker, New York, pp 153–196

    Google Scholar 

  • Stangel PJ (1984) World nitrogen situation — trends, outlook and requirements. In: Hauck RD (ed) Nitrogen in crop production. Am Soc Agron, Madison, Wisc, pp 23–54

    Google Scholar 

  • Tomlinson TE (1970) Urea: Agronomic applications. Proc Fert Soc 113:1–76

    Google Scholar 

  • Zantua MI, Bremner JM (1975) Comparison of methods of assaying urease activity in soils. Soil Biol Biochem 7:291–295

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

McCarty, G.W., Bremner, J.M. & Chai, H.S. Effect of N-(n-butyl) thiophosphoric triamide on hydrolysis of urea by plant, microbial, and soil urease. Biol Fert Soils 8, 123–127 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00257755

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00257755

Key words

Navigation