Understanding the Impact DCD Concentration has on Nitrification

DCD or dicyandiamide is the active ingredient found in many fertilizers and additives marketed for their nitrification inhibition properties, including SUPERU™ fertilizer. SUPERU is a finished fertilizer with 8,500 ppm DCD that is backed by more than 30 years of research and hundreds of trials.

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 loss of nitrates.

The amount of DCD delivered by a product has an impact on how well that product will inhibit loss of nitrogen through nitrification. Research shows the concentration of DCD in the soil has a direct influence on the percent of nitrification. Thus, higher concentrations of DCD equate to higher rate of nitrification inhibition.

In the graph below, SUPERU, with 8,500 ppm of DCD is compared to a 4qt/ton, 28% DCD with 1,323 ppm of DCD and a 2qt/ton, 28% DCD with 662 ppm of DCD.

The DCD concentration in SUPERU provided more than three times the protection against nitrification compared to a 2 qt/ton, 28% concentration product after 42 days when averaged across the soil series below.

Now that we’ve established DCD concentration does impact the rate of nitrification inhibition, see how other common nitrification inhibitors stack up against SUPERU. Are you ready to talk to a KAS representative about the protection offered by SUPERU?

	Specific Gravity Kg/Lt	Avg. Liters/Mt Rate	PPM NBPT	PPM DCD
SUPERU^® Fertilizer	-	10.00	600	8,500
Neon Surface^™	1.16	3.00	592	870
Neon Air^™	1.15	2.00	690	345
Neon Soil^™	1.16	4.00	232	1,392
N-Yield^™	1.08	2.00	577	0
N-Bound^™	1.16	4.00	0	1,299

All rates are derived from information provided on the product labels.

To learn more about SUPERU and its DCD concentration, contact your KAS sales rep or find a sales rep today.

1This data is derived from a lab study. SUPERU rates were calculated based on label concentration to get equivalent rates. G. W. McCarty & J. M. Bremner (1989) Laboratory evaluation of dicyandiamide as a soil nitrification inhibitor, Communications in Soil Science and Plant Analysis, 20:19-20, 2049-2065, DOI: 10.1080/00103628909368200

Neon Surface, Neon Air and Neon Soil are trademarks of Univar Inc. N-Yield^™ and N-Bound^™ are trademarks of Eco Agro. SUPERU^® and the SUPERU logo are trademarks of Koch Agronomic Services. Koch and the Koch logo are trademarks of Koch industries, Inc.

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