Enhanced Nitrogen Research Initiative
This research will include comparisons of commercially available N fertilizers, namely granular urea and liquid UAN, with and without N fertilizer stabilizers.
IPNI-2014-CAN-AB31
01 Apr 2014
Project Description
Summary of Proposed Research
This research will include comparisons of commercially available nitrogen (N) fertilizers, namely granular urea and liquid urea ammonium nitrate (UAN), with and without N fertilizer stabilizers. The products to be assessed and compared include the urease inhibitor Agrotain, the nitrification inhibitors DCD and Nitripyrin or N-Serve (Instinct formulation), and polymer coated granular urea (ESN). Three sets of experiments will be conducted, at three locations (two dryland sites near Edmonton AB, i.e. Ellerslie and St. Albert, University of Alberta research farms, and an irrigated site near Lethbridge, AB. The three experimental designs are described below.
Experiment 1. Assess crop response to urea treated with nitrification inhibitors, and a controlled release polymer coated urea.
Crop: spring wheat in crop years 2014 and 2015.
Four forms of N (4): urea, Super Urea (treated with DCD and Agrotain), urea treated with N-Serve (Instinct formulation), and ESN polymer coated urea.
Times of application (2): fall banded, and side-banded at planting
Rates of N (3): 0N, 50% of soil test N recommendation, and 100% of N recommendation (approximately 110 lb N/acre, soil test N plus fertilizer N)
Experiment 2. Assess the benefit of split applications of various N fertilizer forms.
Crop: spring wheat in crop years 2013 and 2014.
Rate of N and Timing of Application: 80% recommended N fertilizer rate, half of N side-banded at planting, and half broadcast applied at Feekes growth stage 4
Experimental treatments including N forms, additives and applications (6): urea, UAN, ESN side-banded at planting and regular urea at Feekes 4, UAN plus a urease inhibitor (Agrotain), UAN plus Agrotain Plus (Agrotain and DCD), and UAN plus Instinct.
Experiment 3. Assess the effectiveness of UAN applied with glyphosate (50% rate), as a pre-plant application or weed burn down, with and without selected urease and nitrification inhibitors.
Crop: spring wheat in crop years 2013 and 2014.
Rates of N: 0, 80, 100, and 160 kg N/ha
N form treatments (7): UAN only, UAN plus glyphosphate, UAN plus Agrotain and glyphosate, UAN plus Agrotain Plus and glyphosate, UAN plus Instinct and glyphosate, UAN plus Agrotain and Instinct and glyphosate, and side-banded N at planting along with pre-plant glyphosate.
All experiments will include the following measurements: soil test N levels both NH4+ and NO3, stand establishment counts 4 weeks after seeding, early season vigor, leaf chlorophyll, normalized difference vegetative index (NDVI), N content in the wheat residue, grain yield, grain quality (protein). The amount of above ground residue N will be calculated.