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MAXIMIZING TOP-DRESS NITROGEN ON WHEAT

Updated: Feb 22, 2023



High prices make it imperative that you understand loss conditions before evaluating any investment in nitrogen protection. Read the following carefully to ensure every dollar spent in 2022 is justified.

DO YOU HAVE ANY OF THE FOLLOWING?

  • Dry soil

  • low soil pH (<7)

  • cool soil temperatures

  • tilled bare soil

  • high CEC soils, high soil organic matter, high bicarbonate content, high clay content.


ARE YOU TOPDRESSING WITH UAN?

UAN has lower volatilization loss than granular urea because after application, it is less concentrated than urea prills. In addition, one-fourth of UAN is nitrate which has no chance of volatilizing.

SITUATIONS WHERE VOLATILIZATION ISN’T AS BIG OF A RISK?

  • Till the nitrogen or subsurface band it

  • Use irrigation to incorporate it into the soil

  • Occurrence of a rainfall event post application






Unlike NBPT, which works with the enzymes in the soil, minimizing urease enzyme activity to slow the conversion of urea to ammonia gas, EZ-N works with the chemistry in your nitrogen to improve uptake and reduce loss.


EZ-N provides a consistent economic response in UAN due to its ability to provide a more accessible form of nitrogen to the plant. Its chemistry binds and works with ammonium in fertilizer to protect and improve uptake.


EZ-N responses with UAN are significant because, in addition to the 25% ammonium content, 50% of the nitrogen from the urea component of UAN converts to ammonium in 2-4 days. Once added to the UAN, EZ-N binds to the ammonium, and then in the soil, urea converted to ammonium is captured in the EZ-N molecule holding it longer.


Wheat prefers nitrogen in ammonium because the plant uses less energy to utilize nitrogen as it converts directly into amino acids in the roots.


EZ-N provides more nitrogen to the plant in a form that maximizes uptake and yields at a low cost to the grower.


EZ-N PERFORMANCE


Research Facility- Performance Crop Research

Collaborator- Melissa Nelson

Location: Great Bend Kansas

Variety- Chrome Hard Red Winter Wheat 7.5 in rows 100lb/acre

Fertilizer- Applied 03/16/2021 60lbs per acre

Objective- to show that EZ-N treated UAN provides an economic benefit when compared to other nitrogen stabilizers


Yield Results

Treatment

Yield

Cost/Acre

Return/Acre

Control

69.7

EZ-N

73.8

$3.45

+ 4.1 BPA $32.80

NBPT

69.5

$3.75

-0.2 BPA -$1.60

SUMMARY

A rainfall of at least 0.25 inches occured approximately two days after application. This rain event reduced the incidence of volatility.



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