While a grower may think all DCD products are created equal, the reality is they are not. DCD is a competitive inhibitor, meaning it will compete with ammonia to occupy the AMO enzyme active site. By blocking the active site, DCD slows the conversion of ammonium to nitrate preventing the loss of nitrates.
The amount of DCD delivered by a product has an impact on how well that product will inhibit the loss of nitrogen through nitrification. Research shows the concentration of DCD in the soil has a direct influence on the percent of nitrification. Meaning higher concentrations of DCD equate to higher rate of nitrification inhibition.
Third-Party Research Results
In an in-lab study at the University of Arkansas, over a 15 day period SUPERU® fertilizer, a finished fertilizer with both a urease and nitrification inhibitor incorporated into the urea granule, slowed the conversion of ammonium to nitrate, while lower DCD ppm rates performed the same as untreated urea. The study indicated that any product with DCD ppm equal to or lower than 1,500 ppm showed no statistical difference to the control, essentially providing no protection from nitrogen loss.
To look at it from a different perspective, over the 15 days, the adequate levels of DCD found in SUPERU, at 8,500 ppm, had doubled the amount of ammonium in the soil compared to 0, 500, and 1,500 ppm treated products. The effective levels of DCD in SUPERU reduced the conversion of ammonium to nitrate by half.
Are you ready to talk to a KAS representative about the protection offered by SUPERU? To learn more about SUPERU and its DCD concentration, contact your KAS sales rep or find a sales rep today.
The underlying data was provided by University of Arkansas under a Research Trial Financial Support Agreement with Koch Agronomic Services, LLC. Neither the university nor the individual researchers referenced, endorse or recommend any product or service.