N-mineralization of formaldehyde-releasing N-compounds.

The mineralization of several N-compounds, such as MMU, DMU, and HMT, as well as their respective nitrificide action, have been investigated. It has been proved that the amount of available formaldehyde, as well as its rate of release, are responsible for the specific action of these compounds on the N-mineralization process. Factors affecting the rate of release, namely molecular structure, solubility, and temperature, are discussed as well. Importance of these N-compounds as slow-release N-fertilizers based on a new molecular-microbiological approach is described.