Protecting you or your customer's nitrogen fertilizer investment is important for a healthy crop and return, that starts by identify and avoiding nitrogen loss.
Products capable of delaying naturally occurring soil nitrogen transformation processes can lengthen the time that fertilizer nitrogen sources are available for plant uptake and improve nitrogen use efficiency (NUE).
Urease inhibitors generally reduce nitrogen loss from ammonia volatilization when urea is placed on the soil surface.
Nitrification inhibitors reduce nitrate loss to leaching or denitrification by keeping nitrogen in the ammonium form.
Since dramatic increases in the plant’s nitrogen demand generally occur several weeks after application, the use of soil nitrogen stabilizers to control these naturally occurring nitrogen transformation processes can minimize nitrogen losses, increase NUE, and result in increased yield.
Signs and Symptoms of Nitrogen Deficiency
It’s important to keep an eye out for signs of nitrogen deficiency. Nitrogen deficiency in crops can be hard to recognize early in the growing season. However, throughout the plant’s development, corn nitrogen deficiency becomes more visible through pale green leaves and thin stems. Other nitrogen deficiency symptoms are:
- V-patterned yellowing of the leaves
- Poorly filled small ears
- Early senescence of older leaves
- Glossy kernels due to lack of proteins and excessive fat
- Whole plant looks pale to yellowish green
- Increased root growth and stunted shoot growth results in a low shoot/root ratio
How to Avoid Nitrogen Loss
Knowing how to identify and avoid nitrogen loss is important. Now, cut losses to the atmosphere, help ensure nitrogen moves to the root zone, and protect your fertilizer investment with N-Edge® Pro. This new solution contains two proven active ingredients NBPT and DCE, providing both above and below ground protection from nitrogen loss.
For more information on N-Edge Pro and the full N-Edge portfolio, talk to your local CHS agronomy retailer.
