Evaluation of Urea Nitrogen Fertilizer Treated with Nutrisphere Polymer Additive to Increase Fertilizer Efficiency
The use of polymer additives to regular soluble fertilizers has been shown to increase the uptake of fertilizer nutrients into target crops. The mechanism of activity of the polymers is thought to slow down the reaction of the fertilizer nutrient ions and molecules with various soil compounds. The Nutrisphere polymer additive is added to urea or urea containing nitrogen fertilizers.
IPNI-2008-CAN-SK40
26 Feb 2011
2010 Annual Interpretive Summary
This project, at the Indian Head Research Farm near Indian Head, Saskatchewan, consists of three experiments comparing regular granular urea, urea treated with Nutrisphere-N® (a polymer coating), and Super Urea (including both urease and nitrification inhibitors) at 45, 90, and 135 kg N/ha. The experiments were conducted on spring wheat, barley, and canola. This study was initiated in April 2008, repeated in 2009 and 2010, and will be conducted for a fourth year in 2011.
In 2010, growing conditions were good, with ample to excess moisture, with 417 mm of moisture compared to a 30-year normal of 318 mm. There was only a slightly cooler 4-month average temperature of 12.7 ºC compared to the 30-year normal of 13.1 ºC. A significant response to N was observed for all three crops. All three forms of N did equally well as no differences in yield were observed between N forms for all three respective crops. SK-40F