THE PERFORMANCE OF ALLICIN IN ALLIUM SATIVUM AS UREASE BIO-INHIBITOR FOR UREA FERTILIZER APPLICATION

Rapid ammonia (NH3) release from the hydrolysis process of urea fertilizer has
greatly reduced its efficiency in agricultural application. The use of N-(n-butyl)
thiophosphoric triamide (NBPT) as a chemical based inhibitor to control the
hydrolysis process however raises concerns on user's health and the environment. The
widely used NBPT inhibitor, Agrotain contains 10% N-methyl pyrrolidone which is a
known irritant compound to human and plants. A number of cases have been reported
by workers handling NBPT who experienced serious damage on the eyes, having
symptoms of nausea and nose bleed due to long exposure. Plants treated with NBPT
were also found to have higher urea content in their tissues which may retard plant
growth and cause bad scorching on leaf tips. In previous studies Allicin in garlic
{Allium sativum) had shown its inhibiting ability for medical purposes.