How important is the longevity of nitrification inhibition in reducing nitrogen loss in sugarcane?

Nitrification inhibitors inhibitors (Nis) slow the conversion of ammonium (NH4+) to nitrate (NO3-). The persistence of Ms is typically characterised in terms of their half-life because Ms decline exponentially over time. This study examined the effect of the half-life of NIs in reducing nitrogen losses from sugarcane systems, simulating a rainfed cropping system with a 12-month ratoon crop harvested on 15 November. The ratoon crops received urea or urea+NIs 10 days after harvesting. The simulated half-lives of the Ms were 7, 14, 28, 60, and 120 days. Findings indicated that Ms could substantially reduce N losses provided they have a half-life of at least 28 days. Further, products with higher longevity are likely to offer more benefits in terms of N losses.