Should I apply nitrogen in the spring? In the fall? During both seasons? Can I apply anhydrous to dry soil? All great questions. On this episode of the Illinois Agronomy Podcast from Pioneer -- agronomy experts offer some answers during an in-depth conversation about nitrogen application, stabilization, and soil fertility.
“The mentality that we don’t have to stabilize [nitrogen] in spring is a really poor one,” Andrew Luzum, Nutrient Maximizer Strategic Account Manager explains. “When we talk about that temperature sensitive chart, when soil temperatures warm up is when that bacteria load really starts to become more rampant and reproduce, and that’s when the degradation of the nitrogen happens. The reality is when we make fall-applied applications, that period in which the stabilizer is really doing its job really shouldn’t happen until spring, as long as we’re applying our nitrogen when the soil temperature is 50 degrees and trending down.”
But if you’re working with warm soil conditions, that’s a really long time for the nitrogen stabilizer to continue to do its job.
“The reality is if we’re trying to stabilize that nitrogen in the fall — it has to last for 6-8 months. Spring is just as important as fall,” Luzum said.
Also on this episode of the podcast:
Resources mentioned in this episode:
Can I apply anhydrous on dry soil?
https://crops.extension.iastate.edu/encyclopedia/anhydrous-application-and-dry-soils
2024 Fall Nitrogen Loss Update: