Factors Reducing Denitrification

Denitrification can be seen as either detrimental or profitable based on the objectives and the outcome expected. In crop production, the loss of nitrate compounds can lead to lower availability of nitrogen which can hinder plant growth. But in wastewater treatment plants, microbes are specifically employed to reduce nitrate concentration in the water bodies which can cause eutrophication and diseases like cancer, blue baby syndrome, thyroid, fatigue, etc, in humans alike. 

• Drainage Systems – To reduce denitrification from the soil, drainage pipes can be placed in the fields to block any water logging, hence maintaining appropriate aerobic conditions.
• Nitrogen Inhibitors – Fertilizers are equipped with nitrification inhibitors, which help in slowing down the conversion of ammonium-N (NH3) to nitrate-N (NO3-), hence increasing the efficiency of fertilizers and reducing denitrification with lower N2O (greenhouse gas) emission.
• Irrigation Practices – To avoid over-wetting of soil, subsurface drip irrigation is employed to reduce denitrification as lower availability of nitrate concentration is present in the soil.