ARS | Publication request: New technology N products in alabama

Submitted to: National Cotton Council Beltwide Cotton Conference
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: January 3, 2012
Publication Date: January 3, 2012
Citation: Mitchell, C.C., Watts, D.B., Moore, D.P. 2012. New technology N products in alabama. National Cotton Council Beltwide Cotton Conference, January 3-6-,2012, Orlando, Florida. CDROM.

Interpretive Summary: Plant take up only 30 to 50% of the N fertilizer applied for crop production. Thus due to the increasing cost of N fertilizer, grower are seeking alternatives that increase the percentage of N taken up by plants. An experiment on a Lucedale fine sandy loam in Central Alabama (Prattville Research Unit) was conducted in 2007 through 2011 to compare traditional and non-traditional sources of N for high-residue, conservation tilled corn and cotton under non-irrigated conditions. Treatments varied slightly each year. Materials evaluated included urea, ammonium nitrate, urea-ammonium sulfate blends, UAN solutions, Agrotain®, Nutrisphere®, ESN®, Nitamin N-fusion®, poultry broiler litter, calcium chloride, and others. Although, more N was loss to the atmosphere through ammonia volatilization with tradition fertilizers, yield differences between N sources were minor and generally would not justify use of one product over another.

Technical Abstract: Because of high fertilizer N prices, growers are interested in using less expensive sources of N and using fertilizer additives to reduce ammonia volatilization losses from urea sources. An experiment on a Lucedale fine sandy loam in Central Alabama (Prattville Research Unit) was conducted in 2007 through 2011 to compare traditional and non-traditional sources of N for high-residue, conservation tilled corn and cotton under non-irrigated conditions. Treatments varied slightly each year. Yield differences in N sources were minor and generally would not justify one product over another. Ammonia volatilization losses occurred within two or three days after application. Materials evaluated included urea, ammonium nitrate, urea-ammonium sulfate blends, UAN solutions, Agrotain®, Nutrisphere®, ESN®, Nitamin N-fusion®, poultry broiler litter, calcium chloride, and others.