Research Progress Related to Sorghum Biological Nitrification Inhibitors

To meet the growing population’s demand for food, humans have introduced large amounts of nitrogen fertilizers into agricultural systems, resulting in highly nitrified environments in most farmland soils. In highly nitrified environments, the application of nitrogen fertilizer easily leads to the formation of nitrate (NO₃⁻) and subsequent leaching, resulting in very low utilization rates. Moreover, nitrogen loss can cause harm to both the environment and human health, making it necessary to inhibit the nitrification process. Nitrification inhibitors can suppress nitrification, and inhibitors derived biologically from plant roots are gaining attention due to their low cost and environmental friendliness. Sorghum, as a crop capable of growing in arid environments, holds economic value and also possesses the ability to secrete biological nitrification inhibitors. This article utilizes sorghum as a case study to review different types of BNIs (MHPP, sorgoleone, and sakuranetin), their mechanisms of inhibition, and influencing factors. This article summarizes the contributions of these inhibitors in reducing N₂O emissions and increasing food production, while also providing insight into future research directions for sorghum’s biological nitrification inhibitors in terms of agricultural production efficiency. BNIs are expected to play an important role in improving agricultural production and reducing environmental pollution.