Nitrogen Management in 2026: Pre-Plant vs. Sidedress
·22 min·2 clips
Alex Park explains that dry urea can lose 25% of its nitrogen investment within three days if no rain falls.
The episode begins with host Lori Boyer introducing Alex Park, the Pacific Northwest Division Agronomist with Helena Agri Enterprises. Park shares his background, from growing up in Portland to working in forestry, range management, and research in South Asia before joining Helena. The core discussion focuses on nitrogen management decisions facing growers in 2026, comparing pre-plant and sidedress strategies. Park explains that nitrogen is a major budget item and difficult to manage due to multiple loss pathways like leaching, volatilization, and soil binding. He recommends annual soil testing for ammonium and nitrate before the season to understand nitrogen levels. The agronomic difference between pre-plant and sidedress timing is tied to crop-specific uptake windows, such as corn's high demand between V12 and tassel or winter wheat's need as it exits dormancy. Park frames split nitrogen applications as a de-risking strategy, similar to investing, to avoid putting all nitrogen budget at risk from weather events like hail. He discusses advantages of pre-plant applications for early crop supply but warns of potential losses in wet springs. Sidedress is presented as a way to spoon-feed nitrogen, with research showing yield benefits from multiple applications, though economic viability varies. Operational bottlenecks for sidedress adoption include expensive variable-rate equipment, but Park suggests pairing nitrogen maps with new technologies for ROI. A mid-episode ad break promotes Liberty Ultra Herbicide from BASF. The conversation then covers nitrogen stabilizers and additives, with Park noting that inhibitors on dry urea can slow but not prevent loss, and recommending humic acids for sidedress systems. He details nitrogen accounting using the example of soybeans, calculating needs from nodulation, organic matter, and soil credits. The most overlooked factor for efficiency is equipment capabilities, but Park stresses that more applications generally drive efficiency. He provides a field diagnostic method for corn, where yellow V-shaped leaves indicate nitrogen deficiency, with each leaf roughly equating to 10 bushels of yield loss. Park advises using soil and tissue tests to refine programs, noting that nitrogen was a limiting factor in the past year despite good weather. His rule of thumb for 2026 is to make data-driven decisions using soil and tissue tests to stay competitive. The biggest misconception about nitrogen efficiency is that it eventually becomes available, but Park emphasizes getting nitrogen into the ground to prevent loss. The episode concludes with thanks to Park and the sponsor.
