9/17/2024
Instinct NXTGEN® Nitrogen Stabilizer Effect on Nitrogen Loss
Agronomy Research Update
From Corteva™ Agriscience - Written by Mike Moechnig, Global Nutrient Management Leader; Peter Baas, Soil Microbiologist; and Greg Schulenberg, Senior Technician – Soil Microbiology
Key Findings
- A field research study was conducted in 2023 to test the effect of Instinct NXTGEN® nitrogen stabilizer on nitrogen loss through tile drainage.
- Instinct NXTGEN treatment reduced nitrogen concentration in tile drainage water by 24% following rainfall events after application.
- Results of this study show that nitrogen stabilizers can reduce nitrogen loss through tile drainage, even in years with minimal rainfall when nitrogen loss is relatively low.
Reducing Nitrogen Loss
- One of the most challenging aspects of successfully managing nitrogen is the fact that nitrogen from fertilizer can be lost from the soil before the corn crop is able to take it up.
- Under prolonged wet field conditions and warm temperatures, nitrogen can be lost either by leaching – the downward movement of nitrates below the root zone – or denitrification.
- Nitrification inhibitors are compounds that slow the conversion of ammonium to nitrate, prolonging the period of time that nitrogen is in the ammonium form and reducing nitrogen loss from the soil.
- A 2004 meta-analysis of hundreds of comparisons across a diversity of environments found that the use of nitrification inhibitors increased soil nitrogen retention by an average of 28% and reduced leaching by 16% (Wolt, 2004).
- Instinct NXTGEN® nitrogen stabilizer is an encapsulated, water-based formulation of nitrapyrin that can be used with UAN, urea and liquid manure.
Research Objective
- A field research study was conducted in 2023 to test the effect of Instinct NXTGEN nitrogen stabilizer on nitrogen loss through tile drainage and corn yield when used with a spring UAN application.
Study Description
- The 2023 field study was conducted near Huntington, IN at a research site had drainage infrastructure in place to allow sampling of nitrogen content in drainage water from treatment blocks (Figure 1).
- Treatment blocks were 40 x 300 ft, with 4 replications for each treatment.
Figure 1. Field research was conducted in 2023 to test the effect of Instinct NXTGEN nitrogen stabilizer on nitrogen loss through tile drainage at a field research site with drainage infrastructure in place to allow sampling of nitrogen content in drainage water.
- The study compared nitrogen loss and corn yield with 200 lbs/acre of nitrogen applied at planting as UAN in a sidedress band with and without Instinct NXTGEN at 24 fl oz/acre.
- Corn planting and nitrogen application were both done on May 16, 2023.
- Water samples were collected daily for an 8-week period that spanned 2 weeks before and 6 weeks after application and sent to a Corteva Agriscience lab for analysis.
- Water samples were analyzed for both ammonium and nitrate forms of nitrogen, although nearly 100% of nitrogen was in the nitrate form (data not shown), as would be expected.
Results
- Sharp increases in drainage water nitrogen concentration followed rainfall events both before and after nitrogen application (Figure 2).
Figure 2. Daily rainfall totals and average nitrogen concentrations in tile drainage water from Instinct NXTGEN and non-stabilized UAN treatments. View a larger image.
- Nitrogen concentration in drainage water from both the Instinct NXTGEN and non-stabilized treatments stayed relatively low for nearly a month following nitrogen application due to a lack of rainfall during this period.
- The first significant rainfall event following nitrogen application was on June 14, with subsequent rainfall during late June and early July.
- Differences in drainage water nitrogen concentration between the Instinct NXTGEN and non-stabilized treatments were observed during this period.
- Average drainage water nitrogen concentration between June 15 and July 3 was 24% lower in the Instinct NXTGEN treatment compared to the non-stabilized treatment (Figure 3).
Figure 3. Average nitrogen concentrations in tile drainage water from June 15 to July 3 in Instinct NXTGEN and non-stabilized UAN treatments. View a larger image.
- Corn yield did not significantly differ between the Instinct NXTGEN and non-stabilized treatments, suggesting that the additional nitrogen loss from non-stabilized treatment was not great enough to significantly impact yield (Figure 4).
Figure 4. Average corn yield of Instinct NXTGEN and non-stabilized UAN treatments. View a larger image.
Conclusions
- Results of this study show that nitrogen stabilizers can reduce nitrogen loss through tile drainage, even in years with minimal rainfall when nitrogen loss is relatively low.
- Nitrapyrin generally has measurable activity in the soil for about six to eight weeks after application in warm soils conducive to crop growth (Trenkel, 2010).
- Lack of rainfall kept nitrogen loss low for the first four weeks after application; the treatment differences observed during the June 15 – July 3 period would have been toward the end of the window of activity of the Instinct NXTGEN treatment in the soil.
- Corteva Agriscience field trials conducted over several years found that the use of nitrification inhibitors increased corn yield by an average of around 6 bu/acre.
- The highest value of nitrification inhibitors should be realized in scenarios with a high risk of nitrate losses from leaching or denitrification, including the following conditions (Ruark, 2012):
- Tile-drained soils when leaching potential is high
- Wet or poorly drained soils
References
- Ruark, M. 2012. Advantages and disadvantages of controlled-release fertilizers. Presentation to Wisconsin Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Conference, 1/17/2012. Dept. of Soil Science, University of Wisconsin, Madison.
- Trenkel, M. 2010. Slow-and controlled-release and stabilized fertilizers: an option for enhancing nutrient use efficiency in agriculture. International Fertilizer Industry Association, Paris, France.
- Wolt, J. 2004. A meta-evaluation of nitrapyrin agronomic and environmental effectiveness with emphasis on corn production in the Midwestern USA. Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems 69:23-41.
The foregoing is provided for informational use only. Please contact your Pioneer sales professional for information and suggestions specific to your operation. 2023 data are based on average of all comparisons made in one locations through Dec 1, 2023. Multi-year and multi-location is a better predictor of future performance. Do not use these or any other data from a limited number of trials as a significant factor in product selection. Product responses are variable and subject to a variety of environmental, disease, and pest pressures. Individual results may vary.