Agronomy Agronomic Articles

To Band or Not To Band?

That Is The Nitrogen Question. - Cutting Edge, Spring 2019

Recent agronomy research at Bourgault has been directed towards the placement of phosphorus.  Although phosphorus is very important, especially if you are short of it, nitrogen is still the king of the fertilizer macronutrients. This explains why current independent research has set out to identify different nitrogen management practices, highlighting the limitations and advantages of each.

Set a Target

When creating a plan for how much nitrogen to apply, a yield goal should be established.  Reviewing existing yield history is valuable in projecting this goal, and especially paying attention to historical seasonal moisture conditions, as well as the forecasted level of moisture for the growing season you are entering into.  If there is sufficient moisture and enough nutrients are applied, the yield goal can be reached, or in some cases surpassed.  If there is inadequate moisture, and the same amount of nutrients are applied to achieve the yield goal, the goal is typically not reached. 

There are many agronomists who recommend a split application of nitrogen between the time of seeding and then again at a later date in crop to top up the nitrogen.  The advantage of doing this is that the producer gets the opportunity to assess how the season is shaping up to determine if the growing conditions are either: 1) suitable to pushing the yield, or, 2) cutting the nitrogen and saving some input costs.  Thirdly, when nitrogen is applied at heading, there is potential to increase protein in wheat. 

In 2017, the Indian Head Agricultural Research Foundation performed extensive trials that tested many different nitrogen management methods.  These included different types of nitrogen fertilizers, fall versus spring applications, band versus broadcast, and split applications of band and top-dress applications.  There were also different rates of nitrogen tested with Urea.  In canola, the highest yield was achieved by applying all of the nitrogen in the spring at the time of seeding. Full report here

The results in wheat showed no difference in yield with the various methods of applying nitrogen or type of nitrogen used, but there was a significant difference in protein levels.  When all of the urea was applied at the time of seeding, it resulted in an increase in protein over that of broadcasting or topdressing with the same rate of fertilizer. Full report here

The 2017 growing season at Indian Head started out with adequate soil moisture at seeding, but had limited rainfall throughout the remainder of the growing season.  With the limited rainfall, the movement of broadcast or dribble band nitrogen into the soil decreased significantly, to the point of decreasing yield in canola and protein in wheat. The broadcast and top dress applications require that the nitrogen be incorporated into the soil and accessed through the plant roots.  Therefore, an in-season rain is required to move the nitrogen to the rooting zone, whereas, nitrogen already placed in the ground is not dependent on these timely rains.

Mike Hall, at the East Central Research Foundation near Yorkton, SK, also performed a study in 2018, funded by the Agricultural Demonstration of Practices and Technologies, that reinforced the 4R nitrogen principles in wheat.  They conducted a similar trial to the one in Indian Head where urea and a form of treated urea, was applied at different times.  This included broadcasting in early fall, late fall and during the winter.  These late season applications were compared to banding N at the time of seeding.  Their results showed that applying nitrogen at the time of seeding achieved the highest yield and protein in wheat.  

The full presentation can be found online as well as on YouTube

Logistics of nitrogen application are typically the main driver for not applying all of the nitrogen at the time of seeding. There is typically an increase in acres that can be seeded between tank fills if the producer has applied the bulk of the nitrogen via broadcast or banding before seeding.

If the nitrogen is applied as a band before seeding, either in the fall or earlier in the spring, typically cheaper forms of nitrogen are used.  The downfall is that another pass must be taken over the field creating a potential for moisture loss, or nitrogen loss if certain areas cannot be seeded into due to excess moisture at the time of seeding. 

If nitrogen is not put in the ground there is typically a compromise.  If the nitrogen is broadcast, the nitrogen should be treated with a stabilizer to reduce loss into the atmosphere, which comes at a cost compared to untreated nitrogen.  In addition to higher priced fertilizer, custom work charges by outside labor may also have to be included.  But as documented in much of the research, lost potential yield is usually the biggest cost.  When looking to improve logistics or shorten time to get seeding done, it is critical to know there is always a cost associated to broadcasting. 

In respect to wheat, the new varieties of hard red spring wheat are able to produce higher yields due to our world class breeding programs.  This is a good thing as the breeders realize that we need to have high yielding wheat that is able to withstand lodging.  But an important characteristic of wheat is that it allocates nutrients to yield before allocating to protein, which is why many growers lately see a good yield, but lower protein. In order to achieve both high yield and high protein in the latest varieties, setting a target and calculating the required base fertility package is critical to obtain these goals. In many cases, an increase in nitrogen is required. 

As producers continue to push for higher yields, the importance of running the right equipment also goes up. Having the ability to place all of the nitrogen at the time of seeding at high rates, without the risk of seedling burn, is something that the Mid Row Bander® Fertilizer Application System offers.  Producers can follow many fertilizer strategies based on their individual situations, but having a base fertility package is critical to build up from.  Based off of research, and from producer’s fields, users of the Mid Row Bander® Fertilizer Applicator System reduce their risk in many ways, while at the same time increasing their potential to be profitable.