This same line of thinking applies to your spring UAN applications. If you apply untreated UAN to your fields, there is a risk of it escaping. But if you protect that investment with a nitrogen stabilizer, you can minimize those losses and maximize your yield potential.
“There’s a misconception that because UAN is liquid, there’s no risk of loss,” said Tim Laatsch, an Illinois farmer and director of North American agronomy for Koch Agronomic Services (Koch). “Knowing that the nitrogen in UAN is subject to all three forms of loss means there’s a potential that we’re losing more nitrogen than you think. That’s not good for the crop or your bottom line.”
False Perceptions Hurt Yields
There’s a perception among some growers that UAN is not at risk for loss. Some will tell you it’s because it’s a liquid product and others believe it’s because UAN is injected into the soil. Both of these reasons are false. Agronomists will agree, UAN has the potential to be lost to leaching and denitrification — so protecting the application is important to make sure that nitrogen is available for plant uptake.
If you haven’t been protecting your UAN in the past, the good news is you have an opportunity to do that now in order to optimize your yields. Treating UAN applications with CENTURO® nitrogen stabilizer provides below-ground protection, minimizing potential loss to denitrification and leaching.
Immediately following application, untreated UAN is susceptible to loss, as nitrous oxide gas can be formed and then lost into the atmosphere through denitrification before significant crop uptake. CENTURO extends your window of protection against denitrification and leaching by slowing the conversion of ammonium to nitrate, holding the nitrogen in the ammonium form three times longer than without an inhibitor.1
Studies Show Yield Advantages
Another advantage of using CENTURO was shown in a recent University of Nebraska–Lincoln study. UAN treated with CENTURO showed significantly lower nitrate concentration in soil lysimeter samples compared to untreated UAN when averaged over a full growing season.2 The reduced concentration indicates that CENTURO decreased nitrate leaching losses.
In a 2020 Nebraska study on irrigated corn, CENTURO application rates of both 1.5 gal/ton and 2.5 gal/ton showed yield advantages of 10 bu/ac and 14 bu/ac compared to untreated UAN.3
The CENTURO UAN usage rate of 1.5 gallons per ton is recommended for use with most pre-plant, at plant, pre-emergent, or post-emergent applications. The 2.5 gallons per ton rate is recommended on sites with a known history of greater leaching and denitrification losses and/or for applications made more than 30 days prior to planting.
Understanding the potential losses you face with untreated UAN, and the positive impact CENTURO can have on nitrogen management and yields, is key to protecting your nitrogen investment. So don’t just let your UAN escape — fix the ‘hole in the fence’ and let CENTURO give you the extra time you and your crops need. For more information on CENTURO, contact your KAS representative.
CENTURO is not registered for sale or use in all states. Contact your state pesticide regulatory agency to determine if a product is registered for sale or use in your state. Always read and follow label instructions. 1The underlying data is based on third-party laboratory studies funded by Koch Agronomic Services; results may vary based on a number of factors, including environmental conditions. The underlying data was provided by 2University of Nebraska-Lincoln and 3Elite Research under Research Trial Financial Support Agreements with Koch Agronomic Services, LLC. Neither the universities or institutions, nor the individual researchers referenced, endorse or recommend any product or service. Improvements in yield and nutrient use efficiency may not be observed in all cases.