Standards Development

Scope

This international standard specifies analytical methods for the simultaneous determination of NBPT and DCD in fertilizers by HPLC method

Purpose

Urea is widely used in the agricultural industry as a nitrogen fertilizer. The stability of urea today is receiving greater attention due to a major increase in no-tillage or minimum-tillage crop production. Many different methods have been used to suppress and/or slow down the hydrolysis of urea in the soil. Adding urea inhibitors and/or nitrification inhibitors are among these techniques.

N-(n-butyl) thiophosphoric triamide (NBPT, C4H14N3PS, CAS #: 94317-64-3) can slows urea breakdown by controlling the activity of urease enzyme. This allows growers more time from urea application until the next rain or irrigation event needed to incorporate the fertilizer into the soil. Dicyandiamide (DCD, C2H4N4, CAS #: 461-58-5) temporarily inhibits nitrification by deactivating the enzyme of ammonia monooxygenase (AMO) in ammonia-oxidizing microbes. Up to date, there is no ISO standard specifying determination method for NBPT and DCD in fertilizers, furthermore, there is also no method available for the simultaneous analysis of these two compound. This new standard will develop a method for the simultaneous analysis of NBPT and DCD in fertilizers, in order to help regulate the production and usage of fertilizer synergists such as NBPT and DCD in nitrogen fertilizer, and it will definitely help both the competent authorities, fertilizer producers and consumers around the world. Also, a simultaneous analysing method can save time and protect environment by reducing experimental waste.