Fertilizer question

[FarmerDan]

While it's true urea suffers from volatilization losses I think the whole discussion about it is over hyped. Any nitrogen fertilizer applied is subject to loss. We never talk about leaching in the case of excessive rain. In either case there are many soil and weather phenomena in play that will determine the magnitude of loss. You lose large amount in extreme events, but should we be worried about the relatively minor pluses and minuses that occur no matter the source of N and naturally occurring circumstances? I get it. Money spent for no return is hard to swallow. However, we swallow a lot in this business!

Not knowing your weather @Wind Gypsy, I don't know how to respond to you question. Is the soil wet or dry? What's the humidity like? Daytime and Nighttime temperatures? Granular, prilled and/or coated urea? If you end goal was 100 lbs of actual N could you live with real world results of 80 Lbs? 60 lbs? Forty-percent losses are rare. Twenty-percent losses somewhat common. Could you live with a 10% loss?

I'll leave you with this:
https://www.agproud.com/articles/32059-managing-urea-fertilizer-to-reduce-vaporization-losses#:~:text=The worst way to apply,percent losses are more common.

 

[Wind Gypsy]

While it's true urea suffers from volatilization losses I think the whole discussion about it is over hyped. Any nitrogen fertilizer applied is subject to loss. We never talk about leaching in the case of excessive rain. In either case there are many soil and weather phenomena in play that will determine the magnitude of loss. You lose large amount in extreme events, but should we be worried about the relatively minor pluses and minuses that occur no matter the source of N and naturally occurring circumstances? I get it. Money spent for no return is hard to swallow. However, we swallow a lot in this business!

Not knowing your weather @Wind Gypsy, I don't know how to respond to you question. Is the soil wet or dry? What's the humidity like? Daytime and Nighttime temperatures? Granular, prilled and/or coated urea? If you end goal was 100 lbs of actual N could you live with real world results of 80 Lbs? 60 lbs? Forty-percent losses are rare. Twenty-percent losses somewhat common. Could you live with a 10% loss?

I'll leave you with this:
https://www.agproud.com/articles/32059-managing-urea-fertilizer-to-reduce-vaporization-losses#:~:text=The worst way to apply,percent losses are more common.

The article is helpful. 40% loss wouldn't even be that big of a deal as it's still getting some and it is currently dark green so I'm not too worried about it.

 

[FarmerDan]

Taking nothing away from the validity of general thoughts already provided I want to comment on the effects of a heavy dew and N losses associated with urea. Dew probably isn't enough moisture to complete the chemical reactions needed to, in the soil, stabilize and fix the nitrogen in urea. A heavy dew will trigger the first chemical reaction...but not the second one - said with some degree of certainty.

If the dew starts the first process (and is unlikely to finish the second) and daytime temperatures hit high(er) levels there's a strong probability there will be some bigger losses than you might find acceptable. As long as the urea (I'm assuming prilled) stays in it's original form it's still viable. In Wind Gypsy's case he says overnight lows are in the high 50's and humidity at dawn is 90% (maybe a little high but ok). So, the dew point then is about 52-degrees. No dew! Good news.

 

[Wind Gypsy]

It's been sticky up here.

 

[bigboreblr]

Dan makes a good point. I decieded in early july to refertilize my fruit trees from all the rain. I bought a bag of urea this spring for the 1st time. I fertilize food plots most years, but it's 15-15-15, or 6-24-24 if tillage is involved.

Many farmers use winter rye to scavenge their fertilizer losses.

Alot of talk of no ammend, no till. That can be good. But, some folks have little food plot area and need extra production. Or, in my case, where your open area is happen to be open because it's very poor land. I use fertilizrer to improve green manure practices. Pretty much the no-till cereal / legume cycle.

 

[ansayre]

When is it too late for urea to be effective for winter rye? Will it make any difference (be a waste of money) this late in the season? Specifically SE Ohio.

 

[FarmerDan]

When is it too late for urea to be effective for winter rye? Will it make any difference (be a waste of money) this late in the season? Specifically SE Ohio.

Now is a perfect time!

 

[Mortenson]

When is it too late for urea to be effective for winter rye? Will it make any difference (be a waste of money) this late in the season? Specifically SE Ohio.

I just put down my 10 bags of rye grain today. I honestly never even considered fertilizing it. For cover crop and/or food plot purposes, unless you're plotting a gravel pit or something, I don't think you need it. In your location you'll get more growth out of it if you just plant it sooner than later.