4-Methyl-1-(prop-2-yn-1-yl)-1H-1,2,3-triazole (MPT): A Novel, Highly Efficient Nitrification Inhibitor for Agricultural Applications

Abstract

Nitrogen fertilization in agriculture has serious environmental consequences, including production of the greenhouse gas nitrous oxide (N2O), pollution of groundwater with nitrate (NO3–), and river eutrophication. Nitrogen use efficiency can be increased by amending fertilizers with inhibitors to slow microbial nitrification processes, which transform ammonia to NO3–. Unfortunately, commercial inhibitors have failed to perform reliably across various agroecosystems for reasons not well understood. Using a combination of bacterial studies and soil incubations, we demonstrate here that 4-methyl-1-(prop-2-yn-1-yl)-1H-1,2,3-triazole (MPT) exhibits superior nitrification inhibitory properties. Un..