Combating Nitrogen Loss: A Dual-Action Approach to UAN Stabilization

Urea-ammonium nitrate (UAN) is a popular nitrogen fertilizer due to its versatility and ease of application. Its blend of urea, ammonium and nitrate provides both immediate and sustained nitrogen availability and can be applied through broadcast, dribble band or fertigation methods.

Understanding UAN loss risks 

Despite its advantages, UAN is highly susceptible to nitrogen loss through volatilization, denitrification and leaching.

“Half of UAN is urea, a quarter is ammonium and another quarter is nitrate,” said Bryce Geisel, senior agronomist as an agent of Koch Agronomic Services (KAS). “The urea component is particularly vulnerable to volatilization, while the ammonium and urea portions will convert to nitrate and could be lost through leaching or denitrification. Protecting UAN is key to making sure nitrogen remains available when crops need it most.”

These losses reduce nitrogen efficiency and create economic setbacks. Without protection, nitrogen is lost from your fields before crops can use it, leading to wasted fertilizer and lower yields. Because nitrogen is the foundation of plant growth, stabilizing it in the root zone is essential to supporting overall crop development, promoting nutrient uptake and maximizing yield potential.

The need for dual-action protection

To combat nitrogen loss in UAN, both urease and nitrification inhibitors are essential. Urease inhibitors reduce volatilization, while nitrification inhibitors slow the conversion of ammonium to nitrate, reducing leaching and denitrification risks. By inhibiting both above- and below-ground losses, nitrogen remains stable longer, making it available to crops throughout the growing season.

“The earlier in the season nitrogen is applied, the greater the risk of loss before crops can use it. Volatilization, leaching and denitrification all risk nitrogen availability for your crops, so early protection is vital,” said Geisel. “A dual-inhibitor helps mitigate these losses and helps keep nitrogen in your field for longer.” 

TRIBUNE™ protects your UAN investment with two active ingredients

While UAN is a valuable nitrogen source, its availability can be limited without the right protection. TRIBUNE™ nitrogen stabilizer is designed to combat these challenges by offering a dual-active solution that helps nitrogen remain in its stable form until the right time for crop uptake. 

NBPT, a well-researched urease inhibitor, slows urea conversion to ammonia gas, reducing volatilization losses. Meanwhile, Pronitridine, a patented nitrification inhibitor, delays nitrate conversion, decreasing leaching and denitrification risks. This dual-action approach improves nitrogen efficiency and overall crop performance.

“With UAN, you have three different forms of nitrogen, and each is vulnerable to a different type of loss,” said Geisel. “TRIBUNE is specifically formulated to protect against volatilization, leaching and denitrification, helping to stabilize nitrogen. By maintaining nitrogen stability, growers can improve nitrogen retention and maximize their return on investment.”

As a true-liquid, nonvolatile formulation, TRIBUNE won’t separate or settle out, ensuring ease of handling. It also provides application flexibility, eliminating the need for incorporation within 10 days and is tank-mix compatible with many crop protection chemicals, including ammonium thiosulfate.

Proven above-ground and below-ground protection 

Research-backed results confirm the effectiveness of TRIBUNE in protecting nitrogen and improving yields. Field trials have demonstrated its ability to lower nitrate concentrations in the soil, helping to retain more nitrogen for crop uptake while also delivering yield advantages, including: 

• Lower nitrate concentration in soil lysimeter samples compared to untreated UAN, averaged over the growing season. 
• A 16-bushel per acre corn yield advantage over untreated UAN.

Nitrate Leaching Research

UAN treated with TRIBUNE showed significantly lower nitrate concentration than untreated UAN in soil lysimeter samples when averaged over the entire growing season. ¹ 

Corn Yield Benefit

TRIBUNE delivered a 16 bushels per acre yield advantage over untreated UAN. ²

Protect UAN applications and boost yield potential 

Growers are focused on maximizing input efficiency, and nitrogen is no exception.

“TRIBUNE offers peace of mind by protecting UAN applications from all three forms of loss, both above- and below-ground,” said Geisel. “Growers can trust the research behind it and the technology built into the product.” 

To learn more about TRIBUNE and how it can maximize your nitrogen investment, visit https://kochagronomicservices.ca/tribune.

The underlying data was provided by University of Nebraska-Lincoln ¹ , Pike Ag, LLC ² and Indian Head Research Foundation ³ under a Research Trial Financial Support Agreement with Koch Agronomic Services, LLC. Neither these institutions, nor the individual researchers referenced, endorse or recommend any product or service.  Improvements in yield and nutrient use efficiency may not be observed in all cases. TRIBUNE and the TRIBUNE logo are trademarks of Koch Agronomic Services, LLC. Koch and the Koch logo are trademarks of Koch IP Holdings, LLC.