Effects of Enhanced Efficiency Urea on No-tillage Corn Yields and Profit

Ammonium nitrate (AN) has been an important source of fertilizer nitrogen (N) in no-tillage crop production; however, security concerns have limited the availability of AN as a source of fertilizer N. Urea is a readily available source of N that can substitute for AN in no-tillage systems. Unfortunately, conventional urea, which is not amended to protect from surface volatilization loss, is subject to substantial losses of N to the air if it is surface applied rather than incorporated into the soil. Several N stabilizer products that act as urease inhibitors may enhance the efficiency of urea applied to the surface of the soil in no-tillage crop production. However, the profitability of enhanced efficiency (EE) urea products has not been documented under Tennessee growing conditions. Farmers need information about the effects of EE urea on no-tillage corn yields and profits. This publication reports on the profitability of alternative EE urea products relative to conventional urea and ammonium nitrate fertilizers for no-tillage corn. Costs and benefit trade-offs of alternative EE urea products are illustrated using no-tillage corn yields and net returns (corn revenue minus nitrogen fertilizer cost) from an Agronomy Journal article by Zhou et al. (2018).