Studying the true costs of ag inputs, you will find that cutting stabilizers from your nitrogen management program may leave your crops – and your profitability – at risk.
LOOKING AT IT IN A DIFFERENT WAY
Two Nebraska agronomists compared some of the cost-cutting questions they’ve fielded from the growers they advise.
As a field sales agronomist with Country Partners Cooperative, Donnell DeLosh says he counsels growers to consider stabilizers as more like insurance for their nitrogen.
"They're always going to be asking you ‘well, how much more yield am I going to get if I use this product or that product?’," says DeLosh. He asks them to think about it the other way around.
"It's not about how much more you're going to get," he says. "But how much can you afford to lose. We want to keep that nitrogen right there where your corn can get to it and use it."
Another field sales agronomist agrees. Thad Russell with Central Valley Ag says his growers are looking at ways to cut costs. But Russell says that growers "never know what Mother Nature is going to do" so stabilizers “are things that we've just got to keep in the plan.”
FALL APPLICATIONS
In many areas, the practice of utilizing stabilized nitrogen in fall can help keep applied nitrogen where it belongs for a longer period of time. Both agronomists are using that strategy with their growers.
DeLosh says that application best practices have changed for the better over the years. "The days of going out there with 150 pounds of nitrogen in one shot is not the norm anymore. Spreading that nitrogen out, and then stabilizing – that, I think, has made a huge contribution."
STABILIZING SOLUTIONS
With farms getting larger and the work force in rural areas shrinking, agronomists know that they need to find solutions that are cost effective and easier to use. Both DeLosh and Russell agree – they’re happy with the products they’re using from Koch Agronomic Services (Koch).
Protecting a nitrogen investment from loss via denitrification, volatilization and leaching can be one of the key components to an operation’s success.
For instance, CENTURO® nitrogen stabilizer boosts nitrogen use efficiency by up to 25 precent1. By keeping applied nitrogen in the ammonium form three times longer than without an inhibitor2, CENTURO allows more nitrogen to remain available for plant uptake.
- The nitrogen protection of CENTURO was highlighted in the higher yields seen in a three-year study in Nebraska, Illinois and Missouri. It showed that fall-applied CENTURO-treated ammonia increased corn yield by an average of 6 bu/acre compared to untreated fall-applied ammonia. Spring-applied CENTURO treated ammonia also increased corn yield by an average of 6 bu/acre compared to untreated spring-applied ammonia.
If harsh weather conditions have hit your operation’s bottom line with all three types of nitrogen loss, then SUPERU® enhanced efficiency fertilizer is a good solution. SUPERU is the highest concentration of nitrogen available in a dual-stabilized urea-based granule that provides protection from all three forms of loss.
- If you could improve yield by 26 percent over untreated urea, wouldn’t you do it? That’s what a study in Texas found with wheat at 63 lb. N/acre of SUPERU at-planting. In addition to that level of gain, the research also associated SUPERU with greater grain nitrogen uptake efficiency and protein content3.
When a significant amount of the nitrogen you’ve invested in is lost and your crops suffer, ANVOL® nitrogen stabilizer is the solution for you. Keeping urea-based nitrogen where it can benefit the plant most, ANVOL delivers the longest-lasting urease inhibitor protection over a wider range of soil conditions. The stabilizer features the patented active ingredient Duromide along with NBPT, the same proven active ingredient found in AGROTAIN®. Those dual active ingredients increase your window of inhibition by up to 27 percent compared to NBPT alone.
- Studied on different crops, ANVOL has been shown to protect your nitrogen investment. Research showed ANVOL-treated urea produced a 31 bu/acre average corn yield advantage compared to untreated urea in a 2016-2018 study4. In a study from Louisiana State University, untreated urea lost 32 percent of its available nitrogen, while urea treated with ANVOL lost just 12 percent5.
To learn more about protecting your nitrogen investment, contact your Koch representative today.
1The underlying data was provided by University of Nebraska, University of Missouri, and the Illinois Fertilizer and Chemical Association under Research Trial Financial Support Agreements with Koch Agronomic Services, LLC. Neither the universities or institutions, nor the individual researchers referenced, endorse or recommend any product or service. Improvements in nutrient use efficiency may not be observed in all cases. 2The underlying data is based on third-party laboratory studies funded by Koch Agronomic Services; results may vary based on a number of factors, including environmental conditions. CENTURO™ 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."
3Source: Adams, C.B., S.B. Thapa, Y. Fan, and S. Park. 2018. Agronomic and Economic Effects of Two Enhanced-Efficiency Urea Fertilizer Technologies on Southern Great Plains Winter Wheat. Agronomy Journal. 110:1097-1102. doi:10.2134/agronj2017.08.048
62 lbs N/acre surface applied at planting - Nov. 16, 2016 Two locations: Chilicothe, TX (Rowena Clay Loam); Lockett, TX (Miles Loamy Fine Sand) Net Profit: $6/bu 2017 projected enterprise budget developed by Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service; Wheat Variety: Gallagher
4Based on sites responsive to nitrogen fertilizer and conducive to volatilization loss. The underlying data was provided by Virginia Tech, University of Kentucky, University of Tennessee, University of Illinois and Pike Ag, LLC under Research Trial Financial Support Agreements with Koch Agronomic Services, LLC. Neither these institutions, nor the individual researchers referenced, endorse or recommend any product or service.
5The underlying data was provided by Louisiana State University under a Research Trial Financial Support Agreement with Koch Agronomic Services, LLC and neither the university, nor the individual researchers referenced, endorse or recommend any product or service.
