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 each of your customers’ operations 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 still may be a large amount of nitrate in the soil.
- Pre-sidedress soil nitrate test — If nitrogen applications are lowered based on carryover sample results, you should consider the pre-sidedress soil nitrate test. This test allows you to apply more 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 influences when planting will begin and the timing of spring-applied nitrogen. Preplant is always recommended 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, soils can lose more than 20% of total nitrogen after just one or two spring rainfalls.
“It’s important to remember that the corn doesn’t require much nitrogen during the first 30 days of its life,” Trygestad says. “This is why a quality, proven stabilizer can make a huge difference when it comes to keeping nitrogen in the ammonium form for as long as possible.”
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. Multiple peer-reviewed studies and field locations show N-Serve and Instinct NXTGEN are proven to increase yield potential by 5.2% when used with spring nitrogen applications.1
“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 yields,” Trygestad says.
Learn more about these proven solutions and calculate your customers’ potential return on investment at NitrogenStabilizers.com.
1 Wolt, J.D. 2004. A meta-evaluation of nitrapyrin agronomic and environmental effectiveness with emphasis on corn production in the Midwest. Numbers cited are average results comparing nitrogen applications applied with Optinyte® technology vs. non-stabilized applications. Results may vary.
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.