The Importance of Nitrogen Stability for Your Crop Production

The principles of minimising Nitrogen losses

We all talk about how to stop nitrogen losses, but rarely do we explain or show where or how these losses occur.

The below is a good explanation on the natural nitrogen cycle, nitrogen losses and the best ways to reduce these losses.

The Losses

•   N loss in the form of ammonia NH3 volatilization (ca. 11% of N-fertilizer application),

•   N loss in the form of ammonia NH3 volatilization (ca. 11% of N-fertilizer application),

•   Runoff and leaching (ca. 24% of N-fertilizer application),

•   Nitrous oxide N2O emission (1% of N-fertilizer application).

•   Upon introduction into the soil, nitrogen fertilizers like urea undergo a series of transformations involving urea hydrolysis, nitrification, and denitrification, with resulting nitrates (NO3–) being partially lost to aquatic ecosystems due to leaching and runoff.

In a Perfect Soil - (This is what should happen)

In agro-ecosystems, rhizosphere exudates play a crucial role in managing the nitrogen cycle, enabling underground chemical interactions between plants and soil microbes.

Nitrogen emissions can be mitigated by specific rhizosphere exudates from roots and microorganisms:

•   Release of biological nitrification inhibitors (BNIs) by plants

•   Secretion of biological denitrification inhibitors (BDIs) that slow down nitrification and denitrification and urea hydrolysis.

•   Microorganisms-based chemical signaling facilitating the processes.

•   Release of biological denitrification promoters (BDPs) from roots and microbes (aquatic ecosystems) to enhance N removal via denitrification.

Ref - Michał Słota.

What About in Not So Perfect Soils

The above shows us how soil biology in high carbon, high biologically active & balanced soils should control nitrogen cycles. But in old, tired Australian soils this cycle is unbalanced & rarely seen, and losses happen quickly.

So how do we improve it?

There are the chemical coatings on urea which inhibit specific aspects of this natural nitrogen cycle by killing certain microbial species for a set period. There are urease inhibitors, nitrification & denitrification inhibitors, and then there are physical inhibitors. These are inhibitors that generally last for a set period and do an ok job for that period, but once the coating has run out, the nitrogen is then back to an unbalanced cycle, where more is lost as the above explains.

But there is a coating that offers several advantages over the chemical options that works with and enhances the above natural cycle......

It is called Launch® and it’s the bio-coating that makes Black Urea® and Black DAP®. Click her for more information.

Launch® has been designed with the ability to hold nitrogen in the more stable form, ammonium, for longer whilst enhancing a balanced microbial cycle micro zone for nitrogen storage around a granule or with a liquid nitrogen.

Unlike chemical inhibitors, Launch® enhances the natural biological cycle in the micro zone instead of trying to inhibit / kill it, and it has no set period as it is always in contact, bound with the nitrogen, whether it be a granule or once dissolved into the soil.

This unique aspect of Launch® offers two very distinct advantages for farmers.....

•   Due to its unique process of stabilisation of nitrogen, Launch® is the only coating that reduces environmental losses by up to 25-30%, (not stopping, but reducing) enabling nitrogen products to be applied at 25% - 30% less than normal practice for the same yield and quality results. As a result, farmers can then reduce their CO2e by 25%-30%.

•   It makes Launch® the only singular coating that can be added to Urea, DAP, liquid urea, UAN and Anhydrous Ammonia for nitrogen stabilisation through the reduction of environmental losses.

Learn more about Launch®, Black Urea® and or Black DAP® visit www.blackurea.com or want to see the scientific data - click here.

Call us 1800 244 009 or Craig - 0427 908 329 or send us an email - service@advancednutrients.com.au, to learn more and where Launch®, Black Urea® and or Black DAP® can fit into your farming system.

We would welcome the opportunity to assist you.