Potassium Thiosulfate as A Nitrification Inhibitor to Reduce Nitrous Oxide Emissions

Original Article:
Evaluation of potassium thiosulfate as a nitrification inhibitor to reduce nitrous oxide emissions

Zejiang Cai et al.

Science of The Total Environment. 2018, 618, 243-249.

10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.10.274

Potassium thiosulfate (KTS, K₂S₂O₃) has been shown to act as a nitrification inhibitor and thus has the potential to reduce nitrous oxide (N₂O) emissions and play an important role in effective nitrogen management. N₂O is a potent greenhouse gas, and its production has four biological pathways: nitrification by nitrifying bacteria, denitrification by nitrifying bacteria, coupled denitrification by denitrifying bacteria, and denitrification. Studies have shown that potassium thiosulfate is a common fertilizer source of potassium (K) and sulfur (S), while also acting as a nitrification inhibitor in soil. This study investigated in detail the impact of KTS on N₂O emissions to assess its beneficial use in agricultural soils. The results showed that KTS as a nitrification inhibitor could effectively reduce N₂O emission by reducing the nitrification rate and reducing the accumulation of N₂O in soil. The emission reduction depends on the amount of thiosulfate applied, reaching N48% at 102.0 mg S₂O₃^2--S kg^-1. At the same time, as a fertilizer source, thiosulfate has the advantage of reducing the total chemical input to the agronomic system and is especially valuable for crops with high potassium and sulfur requirements.

Chemicals Related in the Paper:

Catalog Number	Product Name	CAS Number
ACM10294663	Potassium thiosulfate	10294-66-3