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If you’re planning a sidedress fertilizer application of nitrogen (N) for your crops, consider utilizing a nitrogen stabilizer to maximize that application and help improve yield and quality.
In this post, we’ll cover:
Why Does Nitrogen Loss Occur?
What Are Nitrogen Stabilizers?
How Do Nitrogen Stabilizers Work?
3 Types of Nitrogen Stabilizers
An essential nutrient for crop growth and quality, nitrogen is one of the most commonly used fertilizers. However, crops only effectively utilize 50% of the N that is applied, according to studies.
Plant-usable forms of nitrogen are often lost through the processes of denitrification, leaching, or volatilization. This means a portion of the nitrogen you put down in your fields won’t ever reach your crops.
When you only use plant-usable forms of N, you’re basically tossing a portion of your nitrogen budget to the wind. This loss of N can decrease crop quality and yields at the end of the season, which ultimately impacts your bottom line.
Learn more about nitrogen and other macronutrients in the FBN® blog “What’s in Your Soil.”
Nitrogen stabilizers are crop protection products that help to reduce N loss through the prevention of the process of ammonia volatilization, denitrification, nitrification, or urease production via action on soil bacteria.
There are many nitrogen stabilizers that can be applied to slow the process of nitrogen converting to nitrate (NO3) for the plant’s use.
It’s important to note that N stabilizers alone won’t increase yield — they simply protect the usability of the N fertilizer that helps the plant reach its yield potential.
Nitrogen stabilizers can be divided into three primary categories: nitrification inhibitors, urease inhibitors, and slow-release coated fertilizers.
Nitrification inhibitors slow the nitrifying bacteria that convert ammonium (NH4) to nitrate. While both forms are usable by the plant, nitrate is more likely to be lost to leaching and denitrification. Nitrification inhibitors are most beneficial on wet or poorly drained soils.
Urease inhibitors are applied to urea and urea-containing fertilizers, such as UAN, and prevent it from converting to ammonia (NH3) gas, which is subsequently lost to the air. These are most effective for surface applications and in no-till scenarios, where N is more prone to volatilization.
Learn about the ROI potential of reducing tillage in the free guide The ROI of Regenerative Agriculture from FBN Finance.
Slow-release coated fertilizers are conventional fertilizers that have a water-insoluble coating of sulfur and/or polymers. The coating allows the fertilizer to provide a gradual supply of N to the plant.
Selecting and using the right nitrogen stabilizer can lead to more efficient, optimized use of your applied N. And for farmers who might over-apply to compensate for N loss, that can translate to a lower overall spend from the fertilizer line item in your budget.
Weather and other environmental conditions can impact any of the above options, so be mindful of your own unique context and/or consult an agronomist when selecting a nitrogen stabilizer for your farm and fields.
As an FBN member, you can chat with a member of our Agronomy team to get answers to questions about fertilizers and other measures you can take to promote crop health.
You can also get answers to your questions 24/7 when you use Norm, our artificial intelligence ag advisor. Norm is built off ChatGPT’s language model and trained on data from Ag Extension Services, the USDA, and more to answer your agriculture questions.
Take control of your fertilizer needs through FBN, your one-stop shop for high-uptake nutrients like Inhabit N™ and more crop nutrition products.
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