Raising the bar on nitrogen protection: Why retailers and growers in the Midwest can’t afford to settle

Retailers and growers are caught in the middle, deciphering claims on products that may claim a yield advantage but only maximize short-term margins. Choosing a stabilizer should be about performance data and active ingredient facts to back up claims. Instead, retailers are lacking the comparison data, and their growers are choosing ineffective products as part of a “packaged deal” instead of the right product for their acre. With the right information at hand, retailers and growers can make educated decisions about stabilizers to protect their investment and their bottom-line long term.

The hidden cost of ineffective products

Many alternative stabilizers contain less active ingredient compared to premium solutions. That matters, because less active ingredient could mean:

• Weaker protection against volatilization, leaching and denitrification
• Reduced ROI on one of the largest input investments on the farm
• Strained trust between growers and their retailers when results fall short

The upfront savings often don’t outweigh the downstream losses. When nitrogen isn’t protected, profitability suffers.

Why pressure matters

Growers and retailers can avoid getting caught in this by demanding the data. By asking questions — “Show me the percent active ingredient across the board” and “How long will this protect my nitrogen?” — they can put pressure on input companies to move away from diluted stabilizers and toward proven solutions.

Grower expectations can reset the standard in the marketplace, ensuring that performance drives recommendations.

Proven solutions, proven protection

Koch Agronomic Services has led the nitrogen stabilizer category for decades, with products built on agronomic rigor and field-proven performance. Our solutions set the benchmark for complete protection:

• ANVOL™ nitrogen stabilizer: Extended volatilization protection with patented Duromide technology
• SUPERU™ premium fertilizer: Built-in, dual-action protection against volatilization, leaching and denitrification in every granule

With these stabilizers, growers can trust that their nitrogen investment is protected all season long, and retailers can stand behind recommendations that deliver real results.

The bottom line

Low-rate alternatives may promise more for less, but the reality is lost nitrogen, decreased yield potential and strained grower-retailer relationships. The only way to change the market is to demand higher standards.

Koch Agronomic Services is ready to lead that shift, with proven stabilizers, agronomic integrity and the science to back every claim. Because when nitrogen is truly protected, growers and retailers can be sure every acre is working as hard as they do.