Nitrogen Insurance

New N stabilizer reduces potential for loss, buying growers more time in spring.

Surface-applying urea in the spring offers growers plenty of positives: cropping flexibility, value-priced nitrogen (based on current urea prices) and convenient application by the cooperative. But the season also brings one large negative: The potential for nitrogen (N) loss due to volatilization is greatest in spring.

“Up to 30 percent of the nitrogen content of an ammonium-based fertilizer can be lost in a wet spring through volatilization,” says Maria Abbott, CHS product development specialist and agronomist, CHS Crop Nutrients. “If a grower doesn’t have the opportunity to make a field pass to incorporate fertilizer or it doesn’t rain soon after application, there’s real potential for loss of nitrogen into the air in the form of ammonia gas.”

The potential for volatilization increases as soil and air temperatures rise, she says, “But it can occur even when spring temperatures are relatively cool.”

Using a nitrogen stabilizer can provide insurance against those losses. This spring, farmers will have a new efficiency option in N-Edge® nitrogen stabilizer from CHS Agronomy. N-Edge nitrogen stabilizer has a unique formulation that protects against ammonia volatilization while providing greater ease of use.

N-Edge reduces nitrogen loss by inhibiting activity of the enzyme (urease) that breaks down urea and slowing conversion of urea to ammonia gas. The active ingredient, N-(nbutyl) thiophosphoric triamide (NBPT), is a proven urease inhibitor, says Abbott.

“It can be used to treat urea-based fertilizers,” she adds, “including granular urea and UAN, as well as manure, providing a valuable two- to three-week window for rain or mechanical incorporation necessary to move nitrogen into the soil, where it will promote early plant growth.”

The greatest levels of nitrogen loss occur during spring when fertilizer is surface-applied to moist soils, with significant crop residues, at warm temperatures or on high-pH soils.

“Treating fertilizer with N-Edge nitrogen stabilizer will provide a grower with some insurance against less-than-ideal field and weather conditions,” says Abbott. “In field trials, N-Edge has performed well when used under cold conditions, as well as in hot, humid weather.”

N-Edge nitrogen stabilizer made a good impression with customers of Federation Co-op in west-central Wisconsin, where it was piloted last spring.

“Urea is the main form of nitrogen our growers apply in spring, and we recommend they use some type of nitrogen stabilizer,” says Doug Blaess, agronomy and grain manager, based at Hixton, Wis. “So we were very interested in trying N-Edge.

“We applied N-Edge-treated urea on more than 8,000 acres last April, in either preplant or side-dress applications, including some side-by-side tests,” he says. “The majority of our growers saw a return on investment, and that was under a wide range of spring weather conditions across our trade territory.”

Most growers who used N-Edge last year plan to use it again this season, says Blaess. “Farmers don’t want to risk not having nitrogen in the soil where and when young plants need it. Using a product like N-Edge is a good way to make sure they maintain it there.”

While nitrogen stabilizers are not new, current products are not equal, says Michael Johnson, director of marketing for CHS Agronomy. “N-Edge nitrogen stabilizer features a new liquid formula that blends and dries faster, covers better, penetrates deeper into urea granules, and enables treated fertilizer to flow freely under a wide range of temperatures and humidity levels.”

From a blending standpoint, N-Edge was easy to work with and quickly incorporated into fertilizer, says Blaess. “We regularly checked to see that it was being well-absorbed into the granules.” The product’s bright green color makes it easier for applicators to see treated granules in the field, he notes.

Increased focus on environmental stewardship and tight crop production margins make it important for growers to optimize their fertilizer investment, says Johnson. “N-Edge nitrogen stabilizer helps protect that investment and keep nitrogen fertilizer in place in accordance with the 4 R’s of nutrient stewardship.” (See sidebar on page 20.)

“CHS is always looking for ways to add value for our member cooperatives and farmer-owners,” he says, “and N-Edge nitrogen stabilizer provides agronomic, economic and environmental benefits.”

The 4 R’s of nutrient stewardship are standards developed by the fertilizer industry to promote best management practices that achieve cropping system goals while minimizing field nutrient loss and maximizing crop uptake: