Inhibitor reduces nitrogen losses in corn.

Reducing losses Nitrogen in the fertilization of corn This can increase the efficiency of nutrient use under conditions favorable to ammonia volatilization. A study by the National Institute of Agricultural Technology (INTA) in Argentina showed that... Urea treatment with a urease inhibitor reduced these losses compared to Urea conventional.

The field tests were conducted by the INTA Paraná Agricultural Experimental Station during the 2024/25 and 2025/26 growing seasons. Doses of 100 and 200 kilograms of nitrogen per hectare were evaluated, in addition to an area without fertilization. Applications occurred after rainfall of 24 to 39 millimeters, which kept the soil moist and favored volatilization.

In both cycles, conventional urea showed the highest peak of losses between the second and third day after application. Urea with a urease inhibitor, on the other hand, showed more stable behavior and recorded lower losses.

In the 2024/25 crop season, conventional urea lost between 14% and 15% of the applied nitrogen, while the product with an inhibitor registered losses of 6% to 7%. In 2025/26, losses ranged from 13% to 20% with conventional urea and from 5% to 6% with the inhibitor.

Regarding productivity, there was no statistical difference between the two fertilizer sources. The observed effect was associated with the nitrogen dose. Yields ranged from 5,277 to 11,915 kilograms per hectare, and nutrient use efficiency was higher with the lower dose, regardless of the source.

This work is part of a network of studies on nitrogen gas losses in maize in regions of Argentina. The research will continue with assessments of nitrous oxide emissions to generate information that contributes to improving nitrogen fertilization management and the efficiency of production systems.