Improve Nitrogen Use Efficiency with YaraLiva UCAN-23
Decreasing N volatility and increasing nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) can be a reality with YaraLiva® UCAN®-23. YaraLiva UCAN-23 is a simple blend of YaraLiva® CN-9® and UAN that results in a fertilizer with an analysis of 23-0-0-4 Ca.
| Using YaraLiva UCAN-23 for your stream bar nitrogen topdress application combines best practice fertilizer placement with an Enhanced Efficiency Fertilizer to achieve the best possible crop yield and return on investment. |
Volatility occurs as a natural part of nitrification, or the conversion of urea-N to nitrate-N. Urea reacts with the enzyme urease to form ammonium carbonate. When this occurs, the pH is driven above 8.2 and the ammonium carbonate converts to ammonia gas (Fig. 1). Urease inhibitors are often applied to urea-based, topdress fertilizers to mitigate volatility, but compounds such as NBPT are only active for about 14 days. After this two-week window, the remaining fraction of urea from UAN is still subject to ammonia volatility.
Figure 1
Combining YaraLiva CN-9 (calcium nitrate) with UAN results in a simple chemical reaction that greatly reduces ammonia volatility (Fig. 2 and Fig 3). The calcium nitrate portion of YaraLiva UCAN-23 does not allow the pH to increase, instead, the ammonium carbonate reacts with calcium nitrate to form ammonium nitrate and calcium carbonate. With this decreased volatility and increased NUE, about 75% of the nitrogen applied using UAN can be applied with YaraLiva UCAN-23 resulting in enhanced crop production. These data and technical considerations have led AAFPCO (Association of American Plant Food Control Officials) to recognize YaraLiva UCAN-23 as an Enhanced Efficiency Fertilizer (EEF).
Figure 2
Figure 3
YaraLiva UCAN-23 not only eliminates volatility but doubles the nitrate-N ratio in the application. Nitrate is the preferred source of N for most crops, especially for small grains (Fig. 4). Nitrate-N is much more readily available for crops subject to low soil temperatures that are planted in the Northwest during the spring (Fig. 5).
Figure 4
Figure 5
YaraLiva UCAN-23 enables you to be efficient while achieving high yields and return on investment.
Contact your local Yara representative for finding a YaraLiva UCAN-23 distributor near you.
