Investigating the fate and behaviour of nitrification inhibitors in soil systems

Increased use of synthetic nitrogen-based (N-based) fertilisers has become a common practice to achieve higher crop yields. However, a large proportion of the applied N is lost to the surroundings via ammonia volatilisation, nitrate leaching and denitrification.1 Addition of nitrification inhibitors (NIs) has been recommended as a strategy to minimise N-losses and improve overall N-use efficiency. Current NIs have some limitations and their effectiveness varies greatly depending on environmental conditions and soil properties. However, there is a little understanding behind these inconsistent responses.