2024 Field Trial Data: What We Learned
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Our nitrogen stabilizer sales team spent the year collecting and analyzing data from field trials and working closely with growers and retailers across the Midwest to ensure nitrogen applications pay off. Strong customer partnerships, regular soil sampling and frequent conversations allowed the team to see what practices are working well and also identify opportunities for next year.
When asked about key learnings from this year’s growing season, Chris Kluemke, nitrogen stabilizer market development specialist, says that 2024 saw several larger rainfalls that may have led to nitrogen loss. Conditions were also favorable for good nitrogen soil mineralization. Still, data proves the power of nitrogen stabilization.
Soil mineralization is the biological process that breaks down organic matter, releasing nitrogen that plants can use.
“Good soil mineralization helped make up for some of those nitrogen losses that we would typically see from heavy rains,” Kluemke says. “Still, nitrogen stabilization made a difference in the amount of nitrogen kept in the ammonium form for plant uptake.”
The longer nitrogen stays in the ammonium form during the growing season, the less susceptible it is to leaching losses and, therefore, greater opportunity for plant uptake to maximize nitrogen use efficiency and increase yield potential.
Whether growers applied nitrogen fertilizer in the fall or spring, data from field trials stretching across multiple states shows that using a proven nitrogen stabilizer paid off.
Fall-Applied Results:
- Fields treated with N-Serve® nitrogen stabilizer in the fall of 2023 showed up to 19% more nitrogen in the ammonium form than untreated samples, and up to 24% more than fields treated with competitive nitrification inhibitors.
- Stabilization with N-Serve helps maintain higher total nitrogen in the soil with higher levels of available ammonium as compared to treatment with competitive nitrification inhibitors. Our initial yield results for 2024 show an average 7 bu./A advantage for N-Serve over competitive nitrification inhibitors.
Pre-Plant Results:
- Fields treated with Corteva nitrogen stabilizers applied with UAN or urea at preplant showed up to 11% more nitrogen in the ammonium form than untreated samples, and 12% more than competitor products.
- Our initial yield results for spring 2024 pre-plant applications with Instinct® NXTGEN or N-Serve nitrogen stabilizers show an average 8 bu./A advantage vs. untreated samples.
Sidedress Results:
- Fields treated with Corteva™ nitrogen stabilizers with UAN or urea at sidedress showed up to 11% more nitrogen in the ammonium form than untreated samples.
- Initial results show a 5 bu.A/ yield advantage with the use of Instinct NXTGEN or N-Serve as part of a spring sidedress application, vs. untreated samples.
“The data gathered this year also shows that it’s just as important to stabilize spring applications as it is fall,” Kluemke says. “When above-average soil temperatures are coupled with heavy precipitation, the nitrification process ramps up. In fact, soil can lose more than 20% of its total nitrogen after just one or two spring rainfalls.”
You can learn more about the importance of stabilizing spring applications in this Farm4Profit episode:
Stay tuned for more 2024 findings to be shared in upcoming blogs.
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. Always read and follow label directions.