Nitrification is the microbial conversion of reduced forms of nitrogen (N) to nitrate (NO₃⁻), and in fertilized soils it can lead to substantial N losses via NO₃⁻ leaching or nitrous oxide (N₂O) production. To limit such problems, synthetic nitrification inhibitors have been applied but their performance differs between soils. In recent years, there has been an increasing interest in the occurrence of biological nitrification inhibition (BNI), a natural phenomenon according to which certain plants can inhibit nitrification through the release of active compounds in root exudates. Here, we synthesize the current state of research but also unravel knowledge gaps in the field. The nitrification process is discussed considering recent discoveries in genomics, biochemistry and ecology of nitrifiers. Secondly, we focus on the ‘where’ and ‘how’ of BNI. The N transformations and their interconnections as they occur in, and are affected by, the rhizosphere, are also discussed. The NH₄⁺ and NO₃⁻ retention pathways alternative to BNI are reviewed as well. We also provide hypotheses on how plant compounds with putative BNI ability can reach their targets inside the cell and inhibit ammonia oxidation. Finally, we discuss a set of techniques that can be successfully applied to solve unresearched questions in BNI studies.

中文翻译：

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根际生物硝化抑制：确定相互作用以及对微生物介导的过程和潜在应用的影响。

硝化作用的氮（N）与硝酸还原形式（NO微生物转化₃ ^- ），并在受精土壤它可以通过NO导致显着的氮损失₃ ^-浸出或一氧化二氮（N ₂O）生产。为了限制此类问题，已使用了合成硝化抑制剂，但它们在土壤之间的性能有所不同。近年来，人们越来越关注生物硝化抑制（BNI）的发生，这是一种自然现象，根据该现象某些植物可以通过释放根系分泌物中的活性化合物来抑制硝化作用。在这里，我们综合了研究的现状，但也消除了该领域的知识差距。考虑到硝化剂的基因组学，生物化学和生态学方面的最新发现，讨论了硝化过程。其次，我们关注BNI的“地点”和“方式”。还讨论了N转换及其在根际中发生并受其影响的相互关系。NH ₄ ⁺和NO₃ ^-保留途径替代BNI进行审查也是如此。我们还提供了关于假定的BNI能力的植物化合物如何达到细胞内目标并抑制氨氧化的假设。最后，我们讨论了可以成功用于解决BNI研究中未研究的问题的一组技术。