Growers using anhydrous ammonia
should wait until soil temperatures move below 50 degrees. Even at these low
temperatures, ammonia will slowly nitrify which allows nitrogen to be lost.
Better yet, spring applications of ammonia further reduce the opportunity for
losses.
The issue with early application
of anhydrous ammonia is that the nitrogen may move resulting in losses from
either leaching or denitrification. Denitrification is a process in which soil
microbes in wet, saturated soil cause the nitrogen to be lost to the air.
Leaching takes place when the ammonium which was fixed to the soil changes to
nitrate and then is able to move with soil moisture.
Typically, soil temperatures move
to low soil temperatures during Thanksgiving. Also, the use of a nitrification
inhibitor such as N-Serve can be used to reduce the risk of nitrogen losses by
controlling the soil microbes that make this conversion. The effectiveness of
this product depends on environmental conditions and varies as
such.
For more information, contact
Wayne Flanary at 660-446-3724 or Heather Benedict at 660-425-6434, Regional
Agronomists, University of Missouri Extension.
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