Close The Gate on Nitrogen Loss
With sidedress season approaching, the team at Koch Agronomic Services is encouraging ag retailers to highlight the opportunities for farmers to protect their investment in nitrogen.
Tim Laatsch, Koch Agronomic Services (Koch) director of agronomy, North America, says nitrogen availability during V6 -VT is critical as 60% of total nitrogen uptake occurs during those stages.
Simultaneously, he and Jared Miller, master agronomist at MKC, are seeing a trend of farmers being more inclined to apply more nitrogen this year to achieve higher yields and capture opportunity with higher grain prices.
They share two key messages:
- “Return on investment has been one key take home–and there is no one size fits all approach to nitrogen management.” Miller says.
- Laatsch adds, “Bushels are important, and the best way to protect that yield potential with regard to your nitrogen investment is to use a stabilizer.”
So far this year, the two agronomists share the common thread to farmer conversations about the input investment has been return on that investment.
“What matters in farming, as with any other business is optimizing profitability. While there is huge opportunity to optimize yield and generate revenue for the farm, we can't do that at the cost of ignoring input costs to chase yield. And that's especially true as we've seen input costs ratcheting up, particularly like nitrogen has done this spring,” Laatsch says. “So we still have to expect return on investment from all those input decisions.”
Miller shares an analogy to illustrate the role of stabilizers and inhibitors—and the advantages of those products above an approach of just increasing overall nitrogen rates.
“Something that has always come as an objection when I'm on the farm–especially with farmers that might be a little price conscious–is if I'm going to potentially lose nitrogen, well, why don't I just put more out there?” he says. “And one example I've always given is: you've got a hole in the fence, and you’ve got cattle on one side. If they're getting out, are you going to keep putting cattle out there? Or are you going to take the time to fix that hole?”
Laatsch shares that research has shown that increasing nitrogen rates to compensate for loss potential does not provide economic or yield benefits, and it’s important for farmers to think about nitrogen management in the context of the 4Rs: right rate, right source, right timing, right place.
“Urease and nitrification inhibitors are very cost effective way to allow a farmer to keep their input costs manageable, while also protecting yield potential. And at the same time, they ensure environmental sustainability,” he says. “It's interesting, because stabilizers often also provide operational flexibility, and I think growers sometimes overlook this. But what stabilizers can do is allow a grower to manage labor shortfalls or adjust timing of application and really never lose sleep over lost nitrogen or lost bushels in those scenarios.”
Miller says farmers are really putting a keen eye on product performance—not just cost.
“Our growers aren't afraid to invest in seed, equipment purchases, labor, you know, a number of things. So I think nitrogen protection is one of the products especially nowadays that is growing in that return on investments category,” he says.
Miller also shares while nitrogen is one of the most abundantly used nutrients, it can be one of the most limiting, and so he shares these six considerations:
- Don't ever guess how much nitrogen might be in your soil. Get a soil test.
- Determine what yield you're expecting. That can help direct how much potential nitrogen to be applied.
- Consultant an agronomist and ask questions.
- Implement the four R's. Right, right, right time, right source, and right, right place for nitrogen management.
- Focus on early fertility. “We're getting better at placing nitrogen when it needs to be in the field, so we are taking a turn in the right direction with multiple applications,” Miller says.
- Always consider a nitrogen stabilizer. “If nitrogen is going to be your most expensive nutrient, it may also be the most limiting. So let's definitely look at stabilizing that product,” Miller says.
Listen to The Scoop podcast, as Miller and Laatsch continue their conversation including highlighting how not all stabilizers do the same thing.
