Tracking and keeping nitrogen (N) in the field, where it can be taken up by plants, has been a longtime worry for no-tillers, especially those living in wetter areas where N can leach from the soil profile.

And Mother Nature’s unpredictability the last several years in the Corn Belt, with rainfall often coming in torrential rainstorms instead of regular, measured amounts, is also making weather patterns harder to predict.

After more than 800 site-years of evaluations over the past 15 years by independent third-party researchers, the makers of Environmentally Smart Nitrogen (ESN) are confident their product has a role to play in efficiently fertilizing corn.

“We’re not claiming ESN is an answer on all farms or to all farmers, but we can tell farmers confidently that the greater the potential for N loss in their field, the greater the benefit will be in using ESN,” says Alan Blaylock, agronomy manager for Agrium Wholesale in Loveland, Colo.

“It’s a proven controlled-release technology that’s very flexible for corn farmers in how and when it can be applied. Besides being most effective where and when it’s most needed, evaluations are showing ESN stabilizes yields over time, as we get more and more volatile weather in the Corn Belt.”

Coated Granules

ESN technology uses a flexible polymer coating to completely encapsulate an N granule. The idea of the coating is to protect N from leaching, volatilization and denitrification after it’s applied, until the crop needs it most.

Leaching can lead to 60% loss, volatilization…