A research project started this fall to assess the efficacy of a nitrogen stabilizer used in anhydrous ammonia.

CENTURO has the potential to expand the timing window for fall fertilizer applications without affecting crop yields.

Two of the three fertilizer applications have already been done on September 30 and October 14. A third one will take place next spring. The study is being funded and the product supplied by Koch Agronomic Services.

“What CENTURO does is slows down the nitrification of ammonium,” said Rigas Karamanos, a senior agronomist with Koch Agronomic Services in Canada. “Consequently, when you slow down the nitrification, you slow down the presence of nitrate in the soil. As a result, it will reduce the potential for nitrification and leaching losses.”

The nitrogen stabilizer could be a time saver at the start of the growing season.

“Now that the farms are so much larger than what they were before, people want to do as much as possible in the fall so when spring comes, they have to (only) deal with seeding—period,” Karamanos said.

Delayed seeding in the spring increases the potential for lower yields later in the growing season.

Karamanos says there have been positive research results for CENTURO in the United States, but they are looking for data that is applicable in Western Canada.

The research is being done on plots at the Glacier FarmMedia Discovery Farm, west of Langham, the location of Ag in Motion.

(Above picture: Rigas Karamanos speaking at Glacier FarmMedia Discovery Farm fall field day on October 21)