LOVELAND, Colo.-Weather may be the biggest variable for a corn crop, but with ESN SMART NITROGEN, growers can count on consistent yields in wet or dry years.
ESN, made by Agrium Advanced Technologies (AAT) is a controlled-release fertilizer, consisting of a ureagranule encapsulated in a polyurethane coating. This allows the N to release from the granule into the soil, driven by temperature and moisture. The higher the soil temperature, the greater the release of N, so release occurs during the growing season, when the plant needs it most.
Research has shown ESN produces a consistent yield response in a variety of years with very different rainfall conditions, while performance of conventional N sources varies widely from year to year. ESN has shown the yield consistency in a variety of geographies and on a number of different soil types that can present different N management challenges.
Dr. Kelly Nelson, research associate professor at the University of Missouri, has worked with ESN on the claypan soils of Northeast Missouri since 2004. This research has shown gaseous N loss through denitrification loss as the major challenge with urea applications to poorly drained claypan soils.
"ESN can help combat this, because the slow-release properties mimic a side-dress application of N and provide a steady supply of N throughout the growing season," says Nelson. "The physical coating protects the urea prill during weather conditions that are favorable for denitrification loss."
Nelson says that ESN has shown consistent yields in a variety of weather conditions over the years. He adds that ESN also performs consistently well in high-risk areas of the field.