Urea is the main nitrogen source used in flooded rice fields, but it is prone to ammonia volatilization losses. The use of N-(n-butyl) thiophosphoric triamide (NBPT) urease inhibitor, as urea additive, can reduce this inconvenient, inhibiting temporarily urea enzymatic degradation. An experiment was carried out on a Planossolo Háplico (Albaqualf), from October 2004 to April 2005, in Capão do Leão, RS, Brazil, to evaluate the effect of NBPT inhibitor-treated urea on nitrogen losses by ammonia volatilization, rice grain yield, and rice nitrogen accumulation, in two soil moisture conditions. The treatments were arranged as a randomized complete block with two soil moisture conditions (moist and muddy), two nitrogen sources (non treated urea and urea treated with NBPT) and three time intervals between nitrogen application and flooding (1, 5, and 10 days) in a factorial design with four replications. Nitrogen rate was 120kg N ha-1, applied at 4- to 5- leaf stage (90kg N ha-1) and at panicle differentiation (30kg N ha-1). Volatilization losses as ammonia from the urea treatment varied from 15% (muddy soil) to 22% (moist soil) of the applied N, when the time interval between nitrogen application and flooding was 10 days. Addition of NBPT reduced 83% and 88% ammonia volatilization losses in muddy soil and moist soil conditions, respectively. For the 10 days interval between nitrogen application and flooding, NBPT treated urea promoted greater rice yield and nitrogen accumulation, compared to non treated urea. The use of NBPT inhibitor makes possible applying urea up to ten days before flooding with no decrease on rice grain yield and nitrogen accumulation.
nitrogen fertilizer; urea; fertilizer efficiency; ammonia volatilization; N-(n-butyl) thiophosphoric triamide
