Spring Nitrogen Planning Starts Now

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They look at field trials for guidance on their nitrogen application and then how to protect their nitrogen fertilizer investment. As plans are made to achieve maximum yield and profitability, thinking now about spring nitrogen applications can put you in a better position to maximize your ROI, and provide you with enough time to build your contingency plans.

Growers know that spring planting season can be one of the busiest times of the year. Then you add weather conditions on top of everything. Is there too much moisture to get the equipment out into the fields to prep and plant? Or maybe there isn’t enough moisture to begin planting. It’s rarely perfect timing.

With weather and soil conditions possibly keeping them out of the fields longer than they’d like, waiting to make a spring nitrogen management plan too close to planting could become a real problem for growers.
Tim Laatsch knows about spring nitrogen application issues, both as a grower in south central Illinois and as director of North American agronomy for Koch Agronomic Services (KAS).

"I look at my nitrogen management plan as an investment that I make each year for my operation," says Laatsch. "Waiting too long to look at my options would keep me up at night. I prefer to build contingency plans in advance and know what I can do when conditions change. The winter months are a good time for growers to assess their options for spring."

Just because a nitrogen application is going down in spring closer to planting, it still needs to be protected like fall-applied nitrogen.

During spring nitrogen applications, it’s important to think about full moisture profiles. If the soil is saturated going into the growing season, growers can face higher leaching and denitrification losses. And if a grower does not receive a timely, incorporating rainfall event, surface-applied nitrogen can become at risk for loss to volatilization. Whatever nitrogen source is used — anhydrous ammonia, UAN or urea — growers should protect against those losses by utilizing nitrification and urease inhibitors.

Solutions for Every Situation

Among the many variables that come up before spring planting — too much rain, not enough, cold weather lasting late into spring — growers need to remain flexible with their nitrogen management plan. Koch offers solid solutions with enhanced efficiency fertilizer (EEF) technologies that fit any particular situation.

SUPERU™ premium fertilizer — Not only will SUPERU provide protection against multiple nitrogen loss pathways, but it also gives growers operational efficiencies. Uniform granule size and hardness of this dry finished fertilizer gives them the ability to spread SUPERU in broad, even patterns. If timing becomes an issue as it gets closer to planting, SUPERU provides operational efficiencies to save time and guard against nitrogen loss.

A four-year study from the University of Illinois showed SUPERU got the top yield results on corn at planting when compared in 19 different combinations of nitrogen sources, timing and placement.¹

ANVOL™ nitrogen stabilizer — Providing the longest-lasting protection against above-ground nitrogen loss, ANVOL is ideal for spring applications. Like its predecessor AGROTAIN^® nitrogen stabilizer, ANVOL minimizes volatilization and has been proven to extend the window of protection for nitrogen beyond that of AGROTAIN. The dual active ingredients make the difference: NBPT blocks the hydrolysis of urea as soon as it’s applied, then Duromide, KAS’s patented molecule contained within the ANVOL formulation keeps that protection going longer, giving fertilizer even more time to be incorporated and optimize yield potential.

In a study across 8 site-years, ANVOL showed it could maximize yields. Urea-treated ANVOL resulted in a 31 bu/acre corn yield advantage over untreated urea.²

CENTURO™ nitrogen stabilizer — Designed to protect nitrogen applications from leaching and denitrification losses, CENTURO offers flexibility with the ability to be added to anhydrous ammonia before to the NH3 is added to a nurse tank, or during or after the addition of anhydrous ammonia to the nurse tank.

CENTURO is applied at 5 gal per ton of anhydrous ammonia, or 1.5 – 2.5 gallons per ton of UAN and is tank-mix compatible with many crop protection chemicals2. A rate of 1.5 gallons per ton of UAN can be used with most pre-plant, at plant, pre-emergent or post-emergent application. Those areas with a history of greater leaching and denitrification losses and applications made more than 30 days prior to planting should use 2.5 gallons per ton of UAN.

Multi-state and multi-year studies showed that spring applications of anhydrous ammonia with CENTURO on corn can benefit as much as 6 bu/acre versus unprotected nitrogen.³
A 2019 Michigan study revealed that when applied in late June at 2.5 gal/ton, UAN treated with CENTURO yielded 28 bu/acre more than untreated UAN.⁴

Taking the time to help growers make spring nitrogen application and protection decisions now will save you both valuable time when the fertilizer window opens next season.

For more information on spring nitrogen application planning and KAS’s nitrogen protection solutions, contact your KAS representative.

The underlying data was provided by ¹University of Illinois, ³Virginia Tech, University of Kentucky, University of Tennessee, University of Illinois and Pike Ag, LLC, ⁴University of Nebraska, University of Missouri, and the Illinois Fertilizer and Chemical Association, and 4Michigan State University under Research Trial Financial Support Agreements with Koch Agronomic Services, LLC. Neither the universities, 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. Always read and follow label instructions. ²Per label instructions, conduct a jar test with crop protection chemicals or biologicals prior to tank-mixing to confirm compatibility.

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. Results may vary based on a number of factors, including environmental conditions. Improvements in nutrient use efficiency, yield and nitrate leaching may not be observed in all cases.

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