Vol. 11, Issue 12 (2022)

Author(s):
Sharat Kothari, SD Pradeep, Mohankumar Karadihalli Thammaiah, S Nithin, TGS Reddy, Gali Suresh and Hithashree DM

Abstract:
Everything in this nature has a role to play and whenever there is a problem for its natural pathway, the nature finds its own way for mitigating it. N fertilizers acts as backbone for higher food production and helps to overcome the darkness of poverty and hunger. But the nitrogen (N) use efficiency of cultivated plant species is very low ranging from 30-50% only. The nitrogen leakage causes environmental problems like NO₃^- leaching, eutrophication and N₂O gas emission. In order to keep a check on it nature has its own mechanism. Certain plant species known to release root exudates which will control the nitrification process known as biological nitrification inhibition (BNI). Pasture plant species such as Brachiaria, Andropogon and cultivated plant species like sorghum and rice are known to having the BNI capacity through release of chemicals like brachialactone, sorgoleone and 1,9 decanediol. These chemicals hamper the activity of ammonia monooxygenase and hydroxylamine oxidoreductase enzyme activity including electron transfer pathway. BNI in plants is detected by using bioluminescence assay of Nitrosomonas europea. BNI has several advantages like alternative to synthetic nitrification inhibitors, reduced N₂O emission, usage as green manure crops and in crop rotations and decreasing N loss from cow urine and manures. Genetic exploration will help to transfer BNI trait to other cultivated plant species and to develop crops with inbuilt nitrification inhibition capacity.