I thoroughly enjoy the civil conversations always present on this forum and it's not my intention to upset that quality. However, there are times when I feel like an "exchange of ideas" could be interesting. I watch with amusement as this issue of nitrogen application timing is presented as a Holy Grail. It isn't.
We seem to get fixated on the application of urea, surface applied, and losses under the worst possible conditions. I have faced some "worst possible conditions and I'm still here and there's still money in the checkbook (although I've lost a wife or two along the way)! There are so many factors that affect loss, it's impossible to have an intelligent discussion on a forum. Yes, it's worth some consideration - and consider it for about 10 seconds. Then, make a decision.
If you think to be successful doing food plots requires this precise timing, you worry too much about an inconsequential issue - in food plotting. If we're fertilizing a thousand acres of corn (who would use urea to do that?), then volatilization might be worth a comment.
OkieKubota has a problem. He has a tractor now (and maybe not later?). He wants to apply 19-19-19 now and is going to disc it into the soil! First, the nitrogen is in the soil. That removes the volatilization concerns, but, I admit it introduces a few other of much less consequence. Second, he's using triple 19. Most likely the blend per 100 is 41 lbs of 18-46-0 which supplies 7 of the 19 lbs of N. The rest is probably urea. Doesn't sound like much, but over a third of a the N is supplied by a non-volatile source. Put it on the surface or disc it in. It'll be there in a week or two barring torrential erosion inducing rains.
My concern is we 'experts' make this idea of food plotting so difficult it scares the rest of the audience unnecessarily.
Best wishes and thank you all for your contributions! This is a great place and you all are great people!
