FACTOR® HELPS KEEP THE NITROGEN IN THE GROUND
May 11, 2020
“We need moisture to get the nitrogen (N) into the ground,” said Ron Paulson, Federated agronomist and ag center manager in Isanti, “and if we have a drier season we need to keep it from volatizing into the air.” Federated recommends Factor®, a urease inhibitor, as the “insurance policy” to ensure N is available for young plants.
“We need 1/3 - 1/2 inch of rain to get urea into the soil,” Paulson said, but “we never know if we will get the moisture at the right time.” Factor Plus N stabilizer provides “two weeks of protection and keeps the N from volatizing.”
Up to 34% of the N volatizes if it doesn’t rain soon after application. And obviously, what’s lost into the air cannot be used by the crop.
As soil temperatures rise in May and June, so does the possibility for N loss due to volatility. Factor protects against that; it is an environmentally sound option for side-dress applications of UAN or urea.
“Factor costs about $8/ac. to protect your nitrogen investment in the two weeks following application,” said Paulson.
Contact your Federated Agronomist with questions or to order urea impregnated with Factor this spring, and avoid N- deficient corn (see photo) this summer.