Nitrogen Management Experts

The Stabilized Nitrogen Cycle

Stabilized Nitrogen products like UMAXX, UFLEXX and HYDREXX take control of the nitrogen cycle and inhibit the loss of nitrogen by delaying volatilization and slowing nitrification. This stabilization extends the life of each fertilizer application, improving nitrogen efficiency and protecting the environment.

Above the soil, AGROTAIN International's proprietary Stabilized Nitrogen Technology inhibits urease, the enzyme that converts urea nitrogen into volatile ammonia and carbon dioxide. Volatilization is minimized and allows more time for rainfall and irrigation to move the fertilizer into the soil.

In the soil, the second proprietary inhibitor slows nitrification by blocking the ammonium mono-oxygenase (AMO), the enzyme responsible for converting ammonium into nitrite. Leaching and denitrification are minimized. Effectively inhibiting only these enzymes, Stabilized Nitrogen technology has been proven to allow soils to maintain healthy populations of beneficial soil organisms.

Why is Nitrogen Important?

Like carbon, hydrogen and oxygen, NITROGEN is an essential, key nutrient for overall plant health. It is a key component of chlorophyll, proteins and amino acids, as well as many of the enzymes necessary to activate biochemical reactions inside the plant.

Nitrogen exists naturally in the soil profile, but quantities deplete quickly due to plant usage, and irrigation and rainfall. Therefore, regular nitrogen fertilizer applications - carefully tailored to the specific needs of the plants - are essential to turf health and proper growth.

The Nitrogen Cycle

In a typical cycle, much-needed nitrogen moves from the external environment to the soil, usually through fertilizer applications. Although essential to plant health, not all nitrogen is absorbed by plants. In fact, nitrogen is often:

• Utilized by plants
• Lost to the atmosphere by ammonia volatilization
• Absorbed onto soil particles
• Lost to groundwater via leaching
• Lost to the atmosphere through denitrification in saturated soil events
• Immobilized by soil microorganisms

The most widely used nitrogen fertilizer is urea, which begins to break down as soon as it is applied. In the presence of moisture and the enzyme urease, the nitrogen in urea is rapidly converted back to ammonia and carbon dioxide — the base compounds used to manufacture urea. Ammonia can be readily lost to the atmosphere in a process is called volatilization. Nitrogen volatility begins within hours of application, and up to 30% of ammonium nitrogen is lost through volatilization within days of fertilizer application, unless it is moved into the soil by sufficient rainfall or irrigation.

Once nitrogen is moved into the soil profile, urea is rapidly converted to ammonium, which plants can easily and efficiently utilize. The nitrogen that isn't utilized, however, continues to be converted to nitrite and then nitrate nitrogen, which can be lost to leaching. The transformation from ammonium to nitrite and then nitrate nitrogen is called nitrification. An enzyme produced by nitrifying bacteria called ammonia mono oxygenase (AMO) catalyzes this chemical change. Excessive rain or irrigation also can affect the nitrogen cycle.

Deprived of oxygen through soil saturation, bacteria will strip oxygen molecules from nitrates for respiration. Called denitrification, this converts the nitrates into nitrous oxide or nitrogen gas, both of which are quickly lost to the atmosphere.

Types of Nitrogen

For practical purposes of application, nitrogen fertilizers are usually distinguished by their release rates, of which there are three basic types:

Quick-release:

Provides fast green-up but don't last long and often result in growth surges; also pose greater environmental risks.

Slow-release (Controlled-release):

Provides longer lasting performance and reduced application frequency, but offer minimal control for turf managers because effectiveness is dependent on moisture, temperature and microbial activity factors. These products include methylene urea, urea formaldehyde, and coated nitrogen like sulfur- or polymer-coated urea.

Stabilized Nitrogen™:

Provide long-lasting, consistent delivery of nitrogen to plants, regardless of unpredictable environmental conditions, while minimizing the escape of nitrogen into the air or groundwater. Because nitrogen is held in the soil, in a plant usable form, over a longer period of time, Stabilized Nitrogen products provide consistent feeding, minimal growth surge, and exceptional color and vigor.