So we know how problematic a leaky faucet or a leaky roof can be. Well, what about leaky nitrogen?
John Jones is a researcher and lecturer at UW-Madison’s Department of Soil Science. He describes nitrogen as “leaky,” and he also has some recommendations to prevent nitrogen from leaving your field so that you get the most out of your fertilizer inputs.
“Nitrogen within cropping systems essentially exists in a state where it doesn’t easily bind to other constituents within the soil or crops. And so if it’s not being taken up by living, growing crops or plant matter, it is susceptible to move with water,” Jones explains. “Also, where water moves, most likely you’re going to find nitrogen moving as well.”
Nitrogen can leave the field in a few different ways: as a solid, liquid or gas.
“Predominantly in Wisconsin, we see nitrogen losses in a soluble form as nitrate dissolved in soil water moving through the soil profile. Nitrogen can also be lost, bound to soil particles within our soil — organic matter,” he says. “If we have high levels of erosion, nitrogen can be lost as a gaseous form. When soils get saturated to a condition where the microbial population within the soil and water transforms the nitrogen to a gas.”
How leaky your nitrogen is is going to change by type, by weather, by commodity and by region, Jones adds. And there are more implications to losing nitrogen beyond losing money.
“The largest impact is environmental quality impairment,” Jones says. “So we’re talking about either groundwater, surface water and then air quality as well. Nitrogen loss to groundwater, surface water and air can lead to environmental impacts that affect human and animal health.”
To reduce loss, producers should think about source, rate, timing and place. He adds that one of the best protections of your nitrogen investment in 2023 is making sure your baseline phosphorus and potassium soil fertility is at where it needs to be.
“If that is deficient, your nitrogen use efficiency will be impaired,” Jones explains. “It’s because a crop needs nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, and if there’s a limiting nutrient, it will affect the use of all those other nutrients.”
He suggests reaching out to your local Extension agent for more details.
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