Evaluating Nitrogen Stabilizers for More Efficient Nitrogen Use when Growing Corn on Sandy Soil

Abstract

<p>Producing field corn on a coarse sandy soil with low organic matter presents several challenges to farmers. One of the biggest is applying nitrogen (N) efficiently. The low water-holding capacity of a sandy soil and the soluble nature of most N fertilizers create a situation where N is easily leached below the crop root zone during high rainfall or excessive irrigation events. The purpose of this trial was to examine different N stabilizers for their ability to limit leaching and increase N use efficiency in this type of production system. Products evaluated included ESN (Agrium U.S., Inc.), Instinct II (Dow AgroSciences), Agrotain Dri-Maxx (Koch Agronomic Services), and SuperU (Koch Agronomic Services).</p>