Rain in the forecast for much of the state today and according to HAT meteorologist Ryan Martin the next two weeks will see plenty of rain. This will pose issues for spring applied nitrogen. Kenny Johnson with Dow AgroSciences says a nitrogen stabilizer will be critical this spring, ”N-Serve has been around for over 40 years and is usually thought of as a fall applied product, but we have already had a lot of rain and we know we are going to get more, so this is a great way to protect your anhydrous application.”
Many Indiana farmers had below trendline corn yields last year so maximizing yields will be top priority this year. Johnson says that means having the right amount of nitrogen when the plant needs it, “We know that corn plant will need nitrogen later in the season and by stabilizing early spring fertilizer it is a best management practice.” He added with one inch of rain nitrates can move 6-8 inches in the soil profile. Thus stabilizing nitrogen is a good way to keep it out of rivers and streams. While budgets are tight, Johnson says a nitrogen stabilizer is like an insurance policy on your fertilizer investment