Protect Spring Fertilizer Applications for Maximum ROI
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A wet April, May or June can bring challenges when planning for spring nitrogen applications, says Neil Trygestad, nitrogen stabilizer strategic account manager, Corteva Agriscience. “This is when our soils are most susceptible to nitrogen loss,” he explains.
Although every operation is unique, there are many similar factors to consider and decisions that can be made to improve success of spring fertilizer applications. Trygestad offers a few best practices for spring applications to help create a more strategic nutrient management plan for the upcoming growing season.
- Perform soil tests. Soil testing during key time frames can help identify the areas in most need of nitrogen application and help ensure you’re applying the right amount of fertilizer. Here are two types of soil tests to consider:
- Preplant soil nitrate test — This test measures the amount of residual or carryover nitrogen available in the active root zone and indicates the amount of nitrogen in the nitrate form present in the soil. A wet spring increases the likelihood of leaching and denitrification as ammonium nitrogen converts to nitrate-N, the form prone to loss. The preplant test should be made if a large amount of nitrogen was applied the previous year and yield was lower than expected. This is an indication that there may be higher than normal residual nitrate in the soil.
- Pre-sidedress soil nitrate test — Consider a pre-sidedress soil nitrate test if there is reason to expect some in-season fertilizer adjustments may be needed. Examples could include confirming soil N after fall manure applications, adverse weather causing N loss associated with pre-plant applications, or just confirming soil nutrient status is at expected levels. This test can help ensure you are applying optimal nitrogen for peak growth at critical nutrient uptake stages. Samples should be taken when corn is 6 to 12 inches tall or in late May to early June. Sample areas also should have similar soil type and be 10 to 20 acres in size. This test works best if you avoid previous fertilizer application bands, including starter and anhydrous ammonia bands. Tests should also consist of 15 to 20 cores per sample.
- Consider the application timing. Preplant? Sidedress? Split application? Weather and individual operational needs influence the timing of spring-applied nitrogen. Whether planning a single or split fertilizer application, a preplant application is often beneficial so long as it does not delay planting.
“Applying nitrogen preplant can help keep the planting process moving as quickly as possible,” Trygestad says. “Of course, soil conditions need to be appropriate for this to work.”
If weather does not allow for preplant applications this spring, you may need to find an alternative time to apply supplemental nitrogen.
“Breaking up applications is a common practice that can help spoon-feed the corn plant with nitrogen,” Trygestad says. “This practice also comes with risk due to unknown weather conditions impacting when we can get out in the field and after the application is made. That’s why it’s also important to include a nitrogen stabilizer with any nitrogen fertilizer application.” - Use a proven stabilizer that’s backed by data. When fertilizer is applied without a nitrogen stabilizer, corn crops can lose out on the nitrogen they need during critical periods of uptake, resulting in potential yield loss. In fact, nitrogen can move up to a foot with every inch of rain and soils can lose up to 50% of total nitrogen in just a matter of days.
“It’s important to remember that corn doesn’t require much nitrogen during the first 30 days of its life. Farmers need their nitrogen protected from loss up to about V6 when corn starts to rapidly uptake nitrogen,” Trygestad says. “This is why a quality, proven stabilizer can make a huge difference when it comes to keeping nitrogen in the non-leaching ammonium form to extend nitrogen availability later into the growing season.”
He recommends seeking out products with solid third-party data and reading the labels to ensure the stabilizer includes an adequate amount of active ingredients. “A product may be labeled a stabilizer but only includes enough active ingredient to slow down the nitrification process for a few days” he says.
This is not the case with Instinct NXTGEN® and N-Serve® nitrogen stabilizers, which are powered by Optinyte® technology and proven to extend nitrogen availability in the soil for up to eight weeks.
Instinct NXTGEN nitrogen stabilizer can be used with spring urea, UAN and liquid manure applications, while N-Serve nitrogen stabilizer is used with spring anhydrous ammonia applications to mitigate the risk of nitrogen loss.
“A quality stabilizer such as N-Serve or Instinct NXTGEN brings peace of mind that spring-applied nitrogen will still be available up to eight weeks later in early June, when the corn plant starts to require larger amounts of nitrogen for top-end yield potential,” Trygestad says. Multiple 2024 on-farm trials prove the value of each of these stabilizers.
View the full 2024 on-farm data summary here. You also can learn more about these proven solutions and calculate your potential return on investment at NitrogenStabilizers.com.
Instinct NXTGEN® is not registered for sale or use in all states. Contact your state pesticide regulatory agency to determine if a product is registered for sale or use in your state. Do not fall-apply anhydrous ammonia south of Highway 16 in the state of Illinois. Optinyte® is a registered active ingredient. Always read and follow label directions.
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