Stabilized Fertilizers: Cost-Effective Guardians of Nitrogen

Stabilized fertilizers are a type of modified fertilizer that regulates nutrient conversion processes by adding chemical inhibitors. The core principle is to incorporate urease inhibitors and/or nitrification inhibitors into ordinary fertilizers (mainly urea and nitrogen-containing compound fertilizers) to slow down the conversion rate of nitrogen in the soil, reducing nitrogen loss in the form of ammonia and nitrogen gas, thereby improving nitrogen fertilizer utilization. While both stabilized and controlled-release fertilizers are high-efficiency nitrogen fertilizers, their technical principles and application scenarios differ significantly. I. Core Technical Principle: Mechanism of Action of Inhibitors The core of stabilized fertilizers lies in the synergistic or individual action of two inhibitors to block key pathways of nitrogen loss. Their regulation targets enzyme and microbial activity in the soil, rather than physically blocking nutrient release like coated fertilizers. Urease Inhibitors (Representative Ingredients: NBPT, NPPT) Target: Inhibits the activity of urease in the soil. Principle: When ordinary urea is applied to the soil, urease rapidly decomposes it into ammonia nitrogen, some of which volatilizes into the air, resulting in loss. Urease inhibitors bind to urease, reducing its decomposition efficiency, slowing down urea decomposition, prolonging the residence time of ammonia nitrogen in the soil, and reducing ammonia volatilization loss. Suitable scenarios: Suitable for alkaline soils and surface application, significantly reducing the risk of ammonia volatilization causing leaf burn to crops and air pollution. Nitrification inhibitors (representative components: DCD, CP, DMPP) Target: Inhibits the activity of nitrifying bacteria in the soil. Principle: Ammonia nitrogen (NH₄⁺) produced by urea decomposition is gradually converted into nitrate nitrogen (NO₃⁻) under the action of nitrifying bacteria. Nitrate nitrogen is easily lost with rainwater or irrigation water and can also be converted into nitrogen gas and released under the action of denitrifying bacteria. Nitrification inhibitors can inhibit the nitrification process, stabilizing nitrogen in the ammonia nitrogen form for a longer period of time. Ammonia nitrogen can be adsorbed by soil colloids and is not easily lost. Suitable scenarios: Suitable for rainy areas and sandy soils, reducing nitrogen leaching loss. The current mainstream stabilized fertilizers mostly employ a dual-inhibitor combination technology, combining urease inhibitors and nitrification inhibitors. This simultaneously blocks two pathways: "urea decomposition → ammonia volatilization" and "ammonia nitrogen nitrification → nitrate nitrogen loss," resulting in superior nitrogen retention and a 20%-30% increase in nitrogen utilization compared to ordinary urea.

Click to Visit Site