脲酶抑制剂和硝化抑制剂的协同作用对尿素氮转化和N2O排放的影响

根据培养试验,论述了脲酶抑制剂氢醌和硝化抑制剂双氰胺和碳化钙的不同组合在土壤正常水分和渍水的条件下对于土中尿素的水解及其释出的氨的吸附、氧化和挥发以及Ｎ２Ｏ生成的影响．文章指出,配合使用氢醌和双氰胺既能延缓土中尿素的水解并使水解后释出的氨在土中得以更多和更长时间的保持,还能减少土中硝酸盐的累积、氨挥发的损失及Ｎ２Ｏ的生成．这表明在脲酶抑制剂和硝化抑制剂间可能存在一定的协同作用．很好利用这一作用,将有益于提高尿素肥效和减少其Ｎ损失与环境污染．     

脲酶抑制剂氢醌对土壤脲酶活性,氨挥发和硝化的抑制动态

1.氢醌对土壤脲酶活性的抑制率及其持续的时间同氢醌浓度成正相关,与土壤脲酶活性成负相关。2.氢醌能有效地抑制施入土壤中尿素氨的挥发,而对铵盐和尿素的硝化强度产生强烈抑制。3.在麦秸还田土壤中,由于脲酶活性增高而提高了施入尿素的水解速度,故需提高氢醌用量;但由于麦秸的“氮因子效应”又固定了尿素分解产物及其氧化产物,从而弥补了氢醌失效后可能造成氮素的继续损失。     

脲酶抑制剂氢醌的环境效应评价

本文根据用标记和非标记氢醌进行的模拟、盆栽和田间定位试验,结合国内外文献有关氢醌的环境常数,论述了氢醌在土壤-植物系统的去向和代谢途径、对土壤酶活性的影响及其环境效应。得出的结论是:作为脲酶抑制剂使用的微量氢醌(0.3—0.4％,与尿素重量比),不会从土壤中淋失和挥发,在土壤和植物中没有累积,对与碳、氮和磷转化有关的土壤酶活性很少影响。在土壤中,它将通过氧化、臭氧化和生物学降解,经由环断裂生成二元酸或参与腐殖物质的合成。在植物体内,主要通过糖苷化得到同化和利用。因此,氢醌作为脲酶抑制剂在农业生产中应用是安全的。     

不同包膜控释尿素对农田土壤氨挥发的影响

为了探索包膜控释尿素土壤氨挥发损失规律特征和提高肥料氮素利用率,采用小麦玉米轮作田间试验,通过与普通尿素进行对比,运用土壤氨挥发原位测定方法——通气法系统研究了硫包膜和树脂包膜控释尿素的施用对小麦玉米轮作农田土壤氨挥发的影响.研究结果表明:在两种施氮量水平下(210 kg/hm2和300 kg/hm2),与普通尿素相比,硫包膜和树脂包膜控释尿素在小麦基肥期、小麦追肥期和玉米施肥期的施用均减少了土壤氨挥发的累积损失量,分别达35.1％-54.3％、59.6％-75.2％、65.6％-98.1％;有效降低了土壤氨挥发通量峰值且延迟其出现时间3-8 d,并能延缓土壤氨挥发主要阶段的时间分别为4-12 d、5-12 d.在小麦玉米轮作周年中,控释尿素土壤氨挥发累积损失量为28.39-43.35 kg/hm2,土壤氨挥发损失率为4.48％-5.63％,控释尿素时段土壤氨挥发通量比普通尿素降低了51.0％-70.8％;且树脂包膜控释尿素的施用降低小麦玉米轮作农田土壤氨挥发的效果优于硫包膜控释尿素.     

不同尿素配施处理下土壤氨挥发特性

采用室内恒温模拟培养方法,以单施尿素处理为对照,研究了减量尿素配施玉米秸秆、配施脲酶抑制剂NBPT和硝化抑制剂DMPP组合、配施玉米秸秆+抑制剂组合等处理对棕壤氨挥发特性的影响,分析了不同处理土壤的p H、铵态氮、硝态氮含量与氨挥发速率的相关性。结果表明:单施尿素处理氨挥发速率在第3天即达到峰值;减量尿素配施玉米秸秆处理的氨挥发速率峰值出现时间延迟至施肥后第5天;在配施玉米秸秆的土壤中添加抑制剂组合后,氨挥发速率峰值延迟至第11天出现。与单施尿素相比,减量尿素配施玉米秸秆并添加抑制剂组合可显著降低氨挥发速率峰值74.27%,培养18 d可减少氨挥发累积损失量43.96%。不同处理的氨挥发速率与土壤的铵态氮浓度、p H呈正相关,与土壤的硝态氮浓度呈负相关。配施玉米秸秆并添加抑制剂组合的土壤中铵态氮浓度达到高峰后可长时间保持较高水平(350 mg·kg-1),并可有效减少硝态氮的浓度。     

施用坡缕石对黄绵土中尿素氮的挥发和淋溶损失的影响

通过室内模拟试验,采用吸收法和土柱淋溶法研究了施用坡缕石对黄绵土中尿素氮的挥发和淋溶的影响.结果表明：施用坡缕石+尿素处理能降低尿素氨挥发高峰期的挥发速率,比单施尿素处理的氨挥发损失减少了13.6%～15.0%.坡缕石施用量为0.3和0.6 g·kg^-1时,降低了NH₄⁺-N和NO₃^--N的淋溶速率,无机氮淋溶损失比单施尿素处理分别减少13.7%和13.6%;而坡缕石施用量为0.9 g·kg^-1时,加快了NH₄⁺-N和NO₃^--N的淋溶速率,无机氮淋溶损失比单施尿素处理增加了6.1%.施用低量（0.3 g·kg^-1）坡缕石+尿素处理土壤的NH₄⁺-N含量比单施尿素处理提高了0.20 mg·kg^-1,而施用高量（0.9 g·kg^-1）坡缕石+尿素处理土壤的NH₄⁺-N含量比单施尿素处理降低了0.42 mg·kg^-1;施用坡缕石+尿素处理土壤的NO₃^--N含量比单施尿素处理增加1.24～2.52 mg·kg^-1.表明施用坡缕石能减少土壤中尿素氨的挥发损失,在一定用量范围内能降低NH₄⁺-N和NO₃^--N的淋失,提高土壤NH₄⁺-N和NO₃^--N含量.     

土壤盐渍化对尿素与磷酸脲氨挥发的影响

氨挥发是肥料氮素损失的重要途径之一,肥料类型、土壤类型、肥料用量以及土壤全盐量均影响氨挥发损失率及挥发特征。本文采用通气法测定了磷酸脲和尿素两种肥料六个施肥量处理分别施入六个不同盐渍化程度（1.7、9.9、16.4、23.2、29.1、37.9 g/kg）的土壤后氨挥发累积状况和动力学特性,以及土壤氨挥发累积量与土壤电导值之间的相关性。结果表明：（1）在土壤总盐介于1.66 -37.9 g/kg的范围内,随着土壤含盐量增加,尿素与磷酸脲处理的氨挥发累积量显著增加;土壤含盐量对氨挥发速率有显著的促进作用。（2）各处理二次线性函数拟合的二项式系数a均为负值,表明：在不同盐渍化条件下肥料的挥发速率是随着时间增长而降低的;一次线性函数和Elovich 方程的斜率a随土壤含盐量增加而增大,表明：土壤盐渍化将加剧土壤的氨挥发速率。（3）土壤氨挥发累积量与电导值拟合结果符合logistic方程（︱R︱分别为0.9732,0.9815,0.965,0.9182,0.9817,0.9971︱R︱>r0.01=0.9172, n=6）,氨挥发累积量随土壤电导值呈“S”型增长。     

控释尿素条施深度对鲜食玉米田间氨挥发和氮肥利用率的影响

为提高鲜食玉米一次性施肥的氮肥利用率并降低氮肥的环境影响,通过田间试验,以不施氮处理为对照(CK),研究了控释尿素不同条施深度(0、5、10、15、20 cm)对鲜食玉米田间土壤氨挥发特征、鲜穗产量和氮肥利用率的影响. 结果表明: 玉米种植带和宽行非施肥带的土壤氨挥发主要发生在施肥后的前2周,而窄行施肥带的土壤氨挥发在施肥后持续约1个月. 与CK相比,控释尿素表施(0 cm)处理不仅大幅度地提高了窄行施肥带的氨挥发损失量,同时也显著增加了玉米种植带和宽行非施肥带的氨挥发损失量. 不同深度施肥处理全生育期土壤氨挥发损失总量差异较大,为3.1～25.5 kg N·hm^-2,占施氮量的1.7%～14.2%.其中控释尿素条施10、15和20 cm深度处理的全生育期土壤氨挥发损失总量相差不大,分别较表施(0 cm)和浅施(5 cm)处理显著降低了85.9%～87.8%和67.0%～71.6%. 在一定范围内增加控释尿素条施深度有利于提高鲜穗产量、植株氮积累量以及氮肥偏生产力、氮肥农学利用率和氮肥表观利用率,各指标均以15 cm深度处理最高. 综上所述,控释尿素合理深施可以显著降低氨挥发损失,提高鲜穗产量和氮肥利用效率,本研究条件下控释尿素的最适宜施用深度为15 cm.     

15N标记水稻控释氮肥对提高氮素利用效率的研究

本文应用^15N示踪技术研究了水稻对空控释氮肥和尿素氮吸收利用效率的影响以及氮的去向,结果表明：施肥后11天内,水稻控释氮肥和尿素的NH3挥发损失分别占施入氮量的0.69%和1.81%,NH3的挥发损失在施肥后第5天时达到最大值,此后逐渐降低。水稻控释氮肥和尿素氮的淋溶损失分别占施入氮量的0.95%和1.02%,水稻控释氮肥氮的淋溶损失在水稻整个生长期间均比较平缓,施肥后40天时略有上升,此后又缓慢降低。用氮素平衡帐中的亏缺量和缺量扣除氨的损失量后计为硝化-反硝化损失量的结果表明,水稻控制氮肥氮的硝化-反硝化损失量占施氮量的3.46%,而尿素氮在硝化-反硝化损失量却高达37.75%,肥料氮在土壤中的残留主要集中在0～35cm的土层中,达91.4%-91.5%,残留在35cm以下土层中的氮甚微,水稻控制氮肥残留在土壤中的氮量略高于尿素处理。水稻控释氮肥利用率高达73.8%,比尿素高出34.9%,水稻控释氮肥氮利用率高的原因是因氮从颗粒中缓慢释放、受淋溶、氨挥发、尤其受硝化-反硝化途径损失的氮较少。在施等氮量的条件下,施用水稻控制氮肥的稻谷产量比尿素的增产25.5%,达到p=0.05的显著水平。     

控失尿素对稻田氨挥发、氮素转运及利用效率的影响

通过田间试验,以普通尿素分次施用处理(CU)为对照,研究了控失尿素分次施用(LCUS)和一次施用(LCUB)对水稻田土壤氨挥发特征、水稻氮素营养状况、稻谷产量及氮肥利用效率的影响. 结果表明: 普通尿素分次施用、控失尿素分次施用和控失尿素一次施用条件下,生育期氨挥发总量占总施氮量的比例分别为15.8%、13.4%和19.7%. 与普通尿素分次施用处理相比,控失尿素分次施用处理可降低土壤氨挥发损失量4.4 kg N·hm^-2,降幅达18.0%,而控失尿素一次施用处理稻田土壤氨挥发总量却增加了7.2 kg N·hm^-2,增幅达24.7%. 与普通尿素分次施用处理相比,控失尿素分次施用处理的水稻叶片叶绿素、籽粒和茎叶氮含量与氮素积累量、稻谷产量均有不同程度提高,氮肥利用率显著提高了7.6%,但氮素转运量、转运率和对穗氮贡献率均显著降低,而控失尿素一次施用处理的水稻叶片叶绿素、籽粒和茎叶氮含量与氮素积累量以及氮肥利用率均显著降低,氮素转运量、转运率、对穗氮贡献率以及稻谷产量无显著差异. 综上所述,控失尿素分次施用处理可以在保证稻谷稳产的同时,有效降低稻田土壤氨挥发损失,改善植株氮素营养状况,显著提高氮肥利用效率.     

Short-term effects of urea amended with the urease inhibitor N-(n-butyl) thiophosphoric triamide on perennial ryegrass

The current study investigated the short-term physiological implications of plant nitrogen uptake of urea amended with the urease inhibitor N-(n-butyl) thiophosphoric triamide (nBTPT) under both greenhouse and field conditions. ¹⁵N labelled urea amended with 0.0, 0.01, 0.1 and 0.5% nBTPT (w/w) was surface applied at a rate equivalent to 100 kg N ha^–1 to perennial ryegrass in a greenhouse pot experiment. Root, shoot and soil fractions were destructively harvested 0.75, 1.75, 4, 7 and 10 days after fertilizer application. Urease activity was determined in each fraction together with ¹⁵N recovery and a range of chemical analyses. The effect of nBTPT amended urea on leaf tip scorch was evaluated together with the effect of the inhibitor applied on its own on plant urease activity.nBTPT-amended urea dramatically reduced shoot urease activity for the first few days after application compared to unamended urea. The higher the nBTPT concentration the longer the time required for shoot activity to return to that in the unamended treatment. At the highest inhibitor concentration of 0.5% shoot urease activity had returned to that of unamended urea by 10 days. Root urease activity was unaffected by nBTPT in the presence of urea but was affected by nBTPT in the absence of urea.Transient leaf tip scorch was observed approximately 7–15 days after nBTPT + urea application and was greatest with high concentrations of nBTPT and high urea-N application rates. New developing leaves showed no visual sign of tip necrosis.Urea hydrolysis of unamended urea was rapid with only 1.3% urea-N remaining in the soil after 1.75 days. N uptake and metabolism by ryegrass was rapid with ¹⁵N recovery from unamended urea, in the plant (shoot + root) being 33% after 1.75 days. Most of the ¹⁵N in the soil following the urea+0.5% nBTPT application was still as urea after 1.75 days, yet ¹⁵N plant recovery at this time was 25% (root+shoot). This together with other evidence, suggests that if urea hydrolysis in soil is delayed by nBTPT then urea can be taken up by ryegrass as the intact molecule, albeit at a significantly slower initial rate of uptake than NH₄ ⁺-N. Protein and water soluble carbohydrate content of the plant were not significantly affected by amending urea with nBTPT however, there was a significant effect on the composition of amino acids in the roots and shoots, suggesting a difference in metabolism.Although nBTPT-amended urea affected plant urease activity and caused some leaf-tip scorch the effects were transient and short-lived. The previously reported benefit of nBTPT in reducing NH₃ volatilization of urea would appear to far outweigh any of the observed short-term effects, as dry-matter production of ryegrass is increased.     

Effect of phenylphosphorodiamidate on urea hydrolysis,ammonia volatilization and rice growth in an alkali soil

Summary In order to improve nitrogen recovery by rice, the effect of a urease inhibitor phenylphosphorodiamidate (PPD) on the efficiency of fertilizer urea was studied in laboratory and greenhouse. Addition of PPD to urea (5% w/w) delayed urea hydrolysis by 3 to 4 days and reduced ammonia volatilization from 45% (without PPD) to 8.5% (with PPD). Ammonia volatilization obeyed first order kinetics. Urea hydrolysis was sufficiently strongly inhibited to match the nitrification potential of the soil. N application to rice by three different modes showed that a delayed mode (4 splits) was superior to two conventional modes (3 splits) in nitrogen recovery and fertilizer efficiency since it met nitrogen requirement of plants at reproductive stage. In 2 out of 3 modes of application, there was a 14% increase (relative) in grain yields and dry matter, and 6.8% increase in N uptake efficiency on application of PPD along with urea. The results indicate that urease inhibitors like PPD can be effectively used to block urea hydrolysis, reduce ammonia volatilization losses and improve N use efficiency by rice.     

Genetic tests of the roles of the embryonic ureases of soybean

We assayed the in vivo activity of the ureases of soybean (Glycine max) embryos by genetically eliminating the abundant embryo-specific urease, the ubiquitous urease, or a background urease. Mutant embryos accumulated urea (250-fold over progenitor) only when lacking all three ureases and only when developed on plants lacking the ubiquitous urease. Thus, embryo urea is generated in maternal tissue where its accumulation is not mitigated by the background urease. However, the background urease can hydrolyze virtually all urea delivered to the developing embryo. Radicles of 2-day-old germinants accumulated urea in the presence or absence of the embryo-specific urease (2 micromoles per gram dry weight radicle). However, mutants lacking the ubiquitous urease exhibited increased accumulation of urea (to 4-5 micromoles urea per gram dry weight radicle). Thus, the ubiquitous and not the embryo-specific urease hydrolyzes urea generated during germination. In the absence of both of these ureases, the background urease activity (4% of ubiquitous urease) may hydrolyze most of the urea generated. A pleiotropic mutant lacking all urease accumulated 34 micromoles urea per gram dry weight radicle (increasing 2.5-fold at 3 days after germination). Urea (20 millimolar) was toxic to in vitro-cultured cotyledons which contained active embryo-specific urease. Cotyledons lacking the embryo-specific urease accumulated more protein when grown with urea than with no nitrogen source. Among cotyledons lacking the embryo-specific urease, fresh weight increases were virtually unchanged whether grown on urea or on no nitrogen and whether in the presence or absence of the ubiquitous urease. However, elimination of the ubiquitous urease reduced protein deposition on urea-N, and elimination of both the ubiquitous and background ureases further reduced urea-derived protein. The evidence is consistent with the lack of a role in urea hydrolysis for the embryo-specific urease in developing embryos or germinating seeds. Because the embryo-specific urease is deleterious to cotyledons cultured in vitro on urea-N, its role may be to hydrolyze urea in wounded or infected embryos, creating a hostile environment for pest or pathogen. While the ubiquitous urease is operative in leaves and in seedlings, all or most of its function can be assumed by the background urease in embryos and in seedlings.     

Pulsatile urea excretion in the gulf toadfish: mechanisms and controls

Opsanus beta expresses a full complement of ornithine–urea cycle (OUC) enzymes and is facultatively ureotelic, reducing ammonia-N excretion and maintaining urea-N excretion under conditions of crowding/confinement. The switch to ureotelism is keyed by a modest rise in cortisol associated with a substantial increase in cytosolic glutamine synthetase for trapping of ammonia-N and an upregulation of the capacity of the mitochondrial OUC to use glutamine-N. The entire day's urea-N production is excreted in 1 or 2 short-lasting pulses, which occur exclusively through the gills. The pulse event is not triggered by an internal urea-N threshold, is not due to pulsatile urea-N production, but reflects pulsatile activation of a specific branchial excretion mechanism that rapidly clears urea-N from the body fluids. A bidirectional facilitated diffusion transporter, with pharmacological similarity to the UT-A type transporters of the mammalian kidney, is activated in the gills, associated with an increased trafficking of dense-cored vesicles in the pavement cells. An 1814 kB cDNA (‘tUT’) coding for a 475–amino acid protein with approximately 62% homology to mammalian UT-A's has been cloned and facilitates phloretin-sensitive urea transport when expressed in Xenopus oocytes. tUT occurs only in gill tissue, but tUT mRNA levels do not change over the pulse cycle, suggesting that tUT regulation occurs at a level beyond mRNA. Circulating cortisol levels consistently decline prior to a pulse event and rise thereafter. When cortisol is experimentally clamped at high levels, natural pulse events are suppressed in size but not in frequency, an effect mediated through glucocorticoid receptors. The cortisol decline appears to be permissive, rather than the actual trigger of the pulse event. Fluctuations in circulating AVT levels do not correlate with pulses; and injections of AVT (at supraphysiological levels) elicit only minute urea-N pulses. However, circulating 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) levels fluctuate considerably and physiological doses of 5-HT cause large urea-N pulse events. When the efferent cranial nerves to the gills are sectioned, natural urea pulse events persist, suggesting that direct motor output from the CNS to the gill is not the proximate control.     

新型磷酰胺类脲酶抑制剂对不同质地土壤尿素转化的影响

施用脲酶抑制剂是降低尿素水解、减少氨气挥发损失、提高作物氮(N)肥利用率的重要途径之一.采用室内恒温、恒湿模拟试验方法,在25 ℃黑暗条件下培养,研究新型磷酰胺类脲酶抑制剂N-丙基磷酰三胺(NPPT)的脲酶抑制效果,比较其与N-丁基磷酰三胺(NBPT)在不同尿素用量条件下不同质地土壤中对脲酶的抑制差异.结果表明: 在壤土和黏土中,尿素作用时间≤9 d,添加抑制剂可以将尿素水解时间延长3 d以上.砂土中,尿素分解过程相对缓慢,添加抑制剂显著降低土壤脲酶活性,抑制NH₄⁺-N生成.在培养期间,不同尿素用量条件下,脲酶抑制剂在不同质地土壤中的抑制效果表现为高施N量优于低施N量.培养第6天,在尿素用量250 mg N·kg^-1条件下,NBPT和NPPT在砂土中脲酶抑制率分别为56.3%和53.0%,在壤土中分别为0.04%和0.3%,在黏土中分别为4.1%和6.2%;尿素用量500 mg N·kg^-1,NBPT和NPPT在砂土中脲酶抑制率分别为59.4%和65.8%,在壤土中分别为14.5%和15.1%,在黏土中分别为49.1%和48.1%.不同质地土壤中脲酶抑制效果表现为砂土>黏土>壤土.不同抑制剂处理在培养期间土壤NH₄⁺-N含量呈现先上升后下降的趋势,而NO₃^--N含量和表观硝化率均呈现逐渐上升的趋势.与单施尿素处理相比,添加脲酶抑制剂NBPT和NPPT显著增加土壤中的残留尿素态N,降低NH₄⁺-N生成.新型脲酶抑制剂NPPT在不同质地土壤中的抑制效果与NBPT相似,是一款有效的脲酶抑制剂.     

持续施用缓/控释尿素条件下水田土壤NH3挥发与N2O排放特征

以持续9年施用不同缓／控释尿素的水田棕壤为试验对象,以普通大颗粒尿素为对照,研究了持续施用不同缓／控释尿素条件下水田土壤NH₃挥发与N₂O排放特征.结果表明: 与普通大颗粒尿素(U)相比,除1% 3,4－二甲基吡唑磷酸盐(DMPP)+U处理 NH₃挥发增加了25.8%外,其他缓／控释尿素肥料处理对NH₃有明显的减排效果.树脂包膜尿素(PCU)对NH₃减排效果最明显,为73.4%,硫包膜尿素(SCU)为72.2%,0.5% N-丁基硫代磷酰三胺(NBPT)+1% DMPP+U为71.9%,1% 氢醌(HQ)+3% 双氰胺(DCD)+U为46.9%,0.5% NBPT+U为43.2%,1% HQ+U为40.2%,3% DCD+U为25.5%, 1% DMPP均与施用普通大颗粒尿素差异显著;所有缓／控释尿素处理与对照相比均可显著减少N₂O排放.1% DMPP+U对N₂O减排效果最明显,为74.9%,PCU为62.1%,1% HQ+3% DCD+U为54.7%,0.5% NBPT+1% DMPP+U为42.2%,3% DCD+U为35.9%,1% HQ+U为28.9%,0.5% NBPT+U为17.7%,SCU为14.5%,均与施用普通大颗粒尿素差异显著.比较0.5% NBPT+1% DMPP+U、SCU、PCU对NH₃和N₂O减排的综合效果,3种肥料作用相近,且均明显优于其他处理,但包膜材料的成本较抑制剂高数倍.因此,同时添加脲酶和硝化抑制剂的缓释尿素是减少水田氮素损失及环境污染的首选氮肥.     

Fate of urea-N in floodwater

One day after application, urea-N remaining in the floodwater and determined as water-soluble N (urea-N + NH₄ ⁺-N) was used to calculate the potential N loss from lowland rice soils. Actual N loss calculated from ¹⁵N balance measurements using forced air exchange (airflow rate: 20 L min^-1) in greenhouse pots. Conditions for variable potential N loss were created by manipulating the method of urea application and duration of presubmergence or by selecting soils with diverse cation exchange capacities (CEC). Potential N loss tended to be lower than actual N loss; the differences were, however, nonsignificant. The method of urea application that led to the lowest potential N loss from a Guthrie silty clay loam (Typic Fragiaquult) also led to the least ¹⁵N loss and vice-versa (r=0.99^**). Duration of presubmergence did not alter the relationship between potential and actual N loss although it influenced the rate of urea hydrolysis in floodwater. The primary depencence of actual N loss on water-soluble N was maintained in soils differing in CEC (r=0.83^**). The association between potential and actual N loss was closer for high-CEC soils ( 20 cmol [+] kg^-1 soil, r=0.91^**) than for low-CEC soils (<20 cmol [+] kg^-1 soil, r=0.85^**). Ammonia volatilization could be more closely predicted by potential N loss than could apparent denitrification.The results of this study suggest that potential N loss calculated from one-time determination of water-soluble N in floodwater can be a good index of actual N loss from flooded, puddled rice soils. Notable exceptions are to be expected for soils in which water-soluble N gets lost from floodwater either before (soils with fast urea hydrolysis in floodwater) or after (soils with steady leaching) determination of potential N loss.     

Urea Transformation of Wetland Microbial Communities

Transformation of urea to ammonium is an important link in the nitrogen cycle in soil and water. Although microbial nitrogen transformations, such as nitrification and denitrification, are well studied in freshwater sediment and epiphytic biofilm in shallow waters, information about urea transformation in these environments is scarce. In this study, urea transformation of sedimentary, planktonic, and epiphytic microbial communities was quantified and urea transformation of epiphytic biofilms associated with three different common wetland macrophyte species is compared. The microbial communities were collected from a constructed wetland in October 2002 and urea transformation was quantified in the laboratory at in situ temperature (12°C) with the use of the ¹⁴C-urea tracer method, which measures the release of ¹⁴CO₂ as a direct result of urease activity. It was found that the urea transformation was 100 times higher in sediment (12–22 mmol urea-N m⁻² day⁻¹) compared with the epiphytic activity on the surfaces of the submerged plant Elodea canadensis (0.1–0.2 mmol urea-N m⁻² day⁻¹). The epiphytic activity of leaves of Typha latifolia was lower (0.001–0.03 mmol urea-N m⁻² day⁻¹), while urea transformation was negligible in the water column and on the submerged leaves of the emergent plant Phragmites australis. However, because this wetland was dominated by dense beds of the submerged macrophyte E. canadensis, this plant provided a large surface area for epiphytic microbial activity—in the range of 23–33 m² of plant surfaces per square meter of wetland. Thus, in the wetland system scale at the existing plant distribution and density, the submerged plant community had the potential to transform 2–7 mmol urea-N m⁻² day⁻¹ and was in the same magnitude as the urea transformation in the sediment.     

Greatly elevated urea excretion after air exposure appears to be carrier mediated in the slender lungfish (Protopterus dolloi)

Under aquatic conditions, Protopterus dolloi is ammoniotelic, excreting only small amounts of urea-N. However, upon return to water after 30 d estivation in air, the lungfish excretes only small amounts of ammonia-N but massive amounts of urea-N. A similar pattern is seen after 21-30 d of terrestrialization, a treatment in which the lungfish is air exposed but kept moist throughout. After both treatments, the time course of urea-N excretion is biphasic with an immediate increase, then a fall, and finally a second larger increase that peaks at about 12 h and may be prolonged for several days thereafter. Urea-N excretion rates during the second peak reach 2,000-6,000 micromol N kg(-1) h(-1), two to three orders of magnitude greater than rates in most fish and comparable only to rates in species known to employ UT-A type facilitated diffusion urea transporters. Divided chamber studies and measurements of the clearance rates of [3H]-PEG-4000 (a glomerular filtration and paracellular diffusion marker) and two structural analogs of urea ([14C]-acetamide and [14C]-thiourea) were performed to characterize the two peaks of urea-N excretion. The smaller first peak was almost equally partitioned between the head (including internal and external gills) and the body compartment (including urinary opening), was accompanied by only a modest increase in [14C]-acetamide clearance equal to that in [14C]-thiourea clearance, and could be accounted for by a large but short-lasting increase in [3H]-PEG-4000 clearance (to about fivefold the terrestrial rate). The delayed, much larger second peak in urea-N excretion represented an elevated efflux into both compartments but occurred mainly (72%) via the body rather than the head region. This second peak was accompanied by a substantial increase in [14C]-acetamide clearance but only a modest further rise in [14C]-thiourea clearance. The acetamide to thiourea permeability ratio was typical of UT-A type transporters in other fish. [3H]-PEG-4000 clearance was stable at this time at about double the terrestrial rate, and excretion rates of urea and its analogs were many fold greater than could be accounted for by [3H]-PEG-4000 clearance. We conclude that the first peak may be explained by elevated urinary excretion and paracellular diffusion across the gills upon resubmergence, while the second peak is attributable to a delayed and prolonged activation of a UT-A type facilitated diffusion mechanism, primarily in the skin and perhaps also in branchial epithelia.