AUTHOR=Rana Muhammad Ajmal , Mahmood Rashid , Nadeem Faisal , Wang Yun , Jin Chongwei , Liu Xingxing 

TITLE=Enhanced nitrogen use efficiency, growth and yield of wheat through soil urea hydrolysis inhibition by Vachellia nilotica extract

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Plant Science

VOLUME=Volume 13 - 2022

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/plant-science/articles/10.3389/fpls.2022.1039601

DOI=10.3389/fpls.2022.1039601

ISSN=1664-462X

ABSTRACT=Soil urease inhibition slows down urea hydrolysis and prolongs nitrogen (N) stay in the soil, resulting in an increased N uptake by plants. Apart from several chemical urease inhibitors, the urease inhibition potential of plant extracts is rarely reported. In our previous study, the soil urease inhibition by Vachellia nilotica leaf extract was reported; however, its role in relation to growth and yield of wheat (Triticum aestivum) under pot and field conditions remains unknown. The acetonic extracts of 10, 20 and 50 g Vachellia nilotica leaves were given code names viz. Vn.Fl-10, Vn.Fl-20 and Vn.Fl-50, respectively, and coated on 100 g of urea individually. The enhancements of growth (total number of tillers, number of productive tillers, number of spikelets per spike, number of grains per spike and 1000-grains weight) and yield (biological yield, straw yield and grain yield) parameters of wheat by Vn.Fl-20 and Vn.Fl-50 coated urea treatments, in comparison to uncoated urea in pot experiment, indicated the effectiveness of Vachellia nilotica extract coatings to improve N persistence in soil, as reflected from the increased grain and straw N concentrations as well as uptakes. The reproduction of aforementioned results, at half and full recommended dose of urea under field conditions, reconfirmed the effectiveness of Vachellia nillotica coatings. Moreover, the Vn.Fl-20 and Vn.Fl-50 coated urea, at half as well as full recommended dose under field conditions, proved equally effective in terms of higher biological, straw and grain yield, and grain N uptake. Lastly, the increments in total number of tillers, number of productive tillers, 1000-grains weight, biological yield, straw yield, grain yield, grain N concentration, grain N- and straw N uptake along with nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) components, i.e. nitrogen partial factor productivity (NPFP), nitrogen agronomic efficiency (NAE), partial nitrogen balance (PNB) and nitrogen recovery efficiency (NRE), of wheat highlighted the superiority of Vn.Fl-20 coating over the hydroquinone (Hq) coating on urea at full recommended dose under field conditions. Given the findings of this study, Vachellia nilotica leaf extract coating (Vn.Fl-20) can be used as natural urease inhibitor to reduce urea hydrolysis and enhance wheat productivity