The study of the factors that determine the stress tolerance of plants is becoming increasingly relevant as a result of climate change. One of the factors that determine the general condition of arable crops is the supply of nutrients and the availability of nutrients. Nitrogen (N) supply is particularly important for maize as it determines yield. N replenishment is mostly achieved by fertilisation, the efficiency of which is not satisfactory due to losses from various sources. The leaching of nitrate ions can lead to a significant loss of N, reducing the efficiency of N uptake and thus the condition and development of the plant. The use of commercially available nitrification inhibitors can significantly reduce the leaching of nitrate ions, as their mechanism of action is to keep ammonium ions available to plants over the long term by interfering with the metabolism of nitrifying bacteria. The leaching of nitrate ions in soils of different textures and conditions is of different intensities, and the present study investigates the efficacy of the active nitrogen stabiliser nitrapyrin in loam soil in maize plants.

Keywords: nitrification inhibitor, soil structure, nitrogen, nitrapyrin