Sidedress issues

I had my corn sidedressed earlier this week with dry urea and ams. I had the co-op broadcast it and I thought they did a great job off applying it evenly. Rain was in the forecast for the following afternoon, but never happened. The urea and ams is mostly volitized now on about 50% of my acres, the remaining 50% varies with anywhere from a trace amount left to about 50% of the urea and ams remaining on the soil surface. My corn plants are brown around the leaf edges due to the volitization, which I understand is harmless, however it clearly tells me thst volitization has occurred. Rain is now in the forecast for tomorrow night. I am unsure what to do now. I am gunshy to try it again, however I feel like I need to get some nitrogen onto the corn.

I'm nervous now and am thinking about not sidedressing next year. I am thinking about going to a liquid 28% nitrogen that I will have knifed in. My thinking on this is that I will not be dependant upon rain to wash in a product. My neighbor sidedressed his corn earlier last week and got a beautiful rain on it about 12 hours after application. His corn currently has some brown edges as well, so he has a volitization loss as well.

I am looking for a way to add nitrogen mid season without having to rely on a rain. I really would like to stay away from anhydrous ammonia as I dont want to handle that dangerous stuff and Ive been told it rough on the soil and earthworms as well.

I have asked my sales rep at the co-op about 28% and his reply was that it is the most expensive source of nitrogen that I could put on my corn and did not recommend it. He never even gave me a price and then pushed the dry urea. I am wondering if 28% could be a better way to apply nitrogen with less risk of any loss of Nitrogen, and if it is anymore expensive.

What is your experience with mid season Nitrogen applications?

I used 28% or nh3. I have used urea to side dress 20 years ago. We spread with pull type spreader and cultivated it in. And do no more than what could be cultivated in a day. Now there is a treatment to add to urea to let it lay on top for a few days.

I have used 28 for years,quit NH3 due to danger and soil issues. 28 goes on much
faster, uses less fuel, and can be applied with less loss in no til fields....the NH3
tends to freeze clumps of soil and crop residue on the shank, and plows too wide of
a trench allowing some to gas off.I have had my best crops ever using 28, it is a bit
more expensive, but at the price of any N source, one cannot afford any losses. Ben

I just put it on before planting and work it in with the fertilizer.

Some varieties of corn respond to side dressing and some don't. One advantage to side dressing is you aren't putting it all down at once early on, risking leaching loss if the rains are heavy. The nitrogen you side dress won't be laying there as long before the plant uses it up so there is less chance for loss. Maybe you have heard about the lawsuit the Des Moines water works has filed against three Iowa counties for high nitrates in the Raccoon river which is their water source. They snuck out on farms and tested the water coming out of drainage tiles and had it tested. If they win that lawsuit we might be seeing restrictions on how and when we apply nitrogen and it won't be just in Iowa I know for sure they won't be letting us put it all on at one time. I live in one of those three counties so I am tuned into it though my drainage district has low nitrates. Anymore, losing nitrogen down the tile lines isn't just an economic loss to the farmer who applied it. Putting 28% or 32% straight into the ground is the best bet for being sure you won't lose it into the air before the plant uses it and you don't need rain to work it in. The side dressing rig I rent has coulters instead of knives so it doesn't disturb the ground much unless the soil is sticky. I can scoot right along with it too.

We have agratain sp? Blended in with ours to help keep it till it rains. Have real good luck using it that way. Still do some 28 also and have good luck using it to. Either way we do not have to worry bout the ground sealing like NH3.

We use Agritane as well. It is good for 14 days and even after that it slows losses. I doubt you lost all of your N. A tissue sample of your corn latter in the season will give you a better idea of where you are at. Tom

I know this is old school but I applied 28% from tanks mounted on side of tractor and lines running back to just in front of my rolling basket cultivator. Did a good job and incorporated enough into to soil.

NH-3--Don't be afraid of it--Respect it. Cheapest and best N there is.

Agritain is a waste of time in my mind. 28% is a pain to handle and you've got to be set up for it. My best advice is find a crop production services somewhere near you and have them spread some half and half urea and esn (energy smart nitrogen). It has some kind of coating that cause it to break down slowly and the only way rain bothers it is run off. I'm not trying to be a salesman just try it. It will blow your mind. We used to knife 28% and the esn is so much better and so much easier

I spent $5000 last year to add a liquid system to my planter. This year those pricey tanks are getting an empty ride across the field. Co-op is right - liquid is high as a cat's back. I couldn't see a difference, but mine was on beans. I don't do corn. I know that nitrogen means the world to you guys. I put urea on my milo ground and just cultivated it in. Same with starter on the bean ground. I'm not all that high tech when it comes to fertilizer.