An economic study of controlled release urea and split applications of nitrogen as compared with non-coated urea under conventional and reduced tillage management

Khakbazan, M., Grant, C. A., Finlay, G., Wu, R., Malhi, S. S., Selles, F., Clayton, G. W., Lupwayi, N. Z., Soon, Y. K. and Harker, K. N. 2013. An economic study of controlled release urea and split applications of nitrogen as compared with non-coated urea under conventional and reduced tillage management. Can. J. Plant Sci. 93: 523–534. To evaluate the use of controlled-release urea (CRU) as a beneficial management practice for nitrogen management of wheat, barley, and canola, a multi-location study was conducted from 2004 to 2006 in a range of agro-environments across western Canada. The objective was to evaluate the relative economic performance of CRU and non-coated urea (NCU) for their effects on seed yield and quality, costs and net revenue (NR) using conventional tillage (CT) and reduced tillage (RT) management under varying environmental conditions. The NR was estimated as the income remaining after paying for all cash costs, ownership costs on machinery and buildings, and labour. The main factor affecting crop yield and NR was N application rate. In general, application of NCU produced similar or higher net revenues than that of CRU, split fertilizer applications or a blend of NCU and CRU. There were some limited situations where the use of split applications, CRU or CRU in a blend with the NCU increased crop yield as compared with NCU; however, the increased yield was not sufficient to cover the extra costs of CRU or the split application. The impact of tillage system on crop yield and NR was not consistent. Net revenue was higher under CT than RT for certain crops in some regions, but not in all regions or for all crops. Overall, NR analysis indicated that use of CRU did not provide an economic benefit over the use of NCU.

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Crop yield and nitrogen concentration with controlled release urea and split applications of nitrogen as compared to non-coated urea applied at seeding

Field Crops Research ◽

10.1016/j.fcr.2011.11.002 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 127 ◽

pp. 170-180 ◽

Cited By ~ 102

Author(s):

C.A. Grant ◽

R. Wu ◽

F. Selles ◽

K.N. Harker ◽

G.W. Clayton ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Controlled Release ◽

Crop Yield ◽

Nitrogen Concentration ◽

Coated Urea ◽

Controlled Release Urea

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How optimizing application of coated controlled‐release urea affects crop yield in China

Agronomy Journal ◽

10.1002/agj2.20992 ◽

2022 ◽

Author(s):

Hongtao Zou ◽

Chuang Ba ◽

Zhanhan Hou ◽

Ningxi Guo ◽

Ming Yang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Controlled Release ◽

Crop Yield ◽

Controlled Release Urea

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Prediction of Controlled-release Fertilizer Nitrogen Release Using the Pouch Field and Accelerated Temperature-controlled Incubation Methods in Sand Soils

HortScience ◽

10.21273/hortsci.49.12.1575 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 49 (12) ◽

pp. 1575-1581 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Luther C. Carson ◽

Monica Ozores-Hampton ◽

Kelly T. Morgan ◽

Jerry B. Sartain

Keyword(s):

Controlled Release ◽

Management Practice ◽

Field Method ◽

Vegetable Production ◽

Tomato Production ◽

Controlled Release Fertilizer ◽

N Release ◽

Coated Urea ◽

Temperature Controlled ◽

Correlation Process

Controlled-release fertilizers (CRFs), a vegetable production best management practice in Florida, are soluble fertilizers (SFs) coated with a polymer, resin, or a hybrid of polymer coating sulfur-coated urea. In 1994, a Controlled Release Fertilizer Taskforce developed an accelerated temperature-controlled incubation method (ATCIM) to predict column-incubated CRF nitrogen (N) release for regulatory purposes. Determination of CRF field N release uses a field method such as a pouch field study, which requires multiple samples and high costs for laboratory N analysis. If the ATCIM may be used to predict CRF N release in the field, then vegetables growers will have a faster and lower-cost method to determine N release compared with the pouch field method. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the correlation of the ATCIM and the pouch field method as a predictor of N release from CRFs in tomato production in Florida. In 2011 and 2013, 12 and 14 CRFs, respectively, were incubated in pouches placed in polyethylene mulched raised beds in Immokalee, FL, and extracted in the ATCIM during 2013. The ATCIM CRF results were used individually and grouped by release duration to create predicted N release curves in a two-step correlation process. The two-step processes predicted the percentage N release of individual CRF with R2 of 0.95 to 0.99 and 0.61 to 0.99 and CRFs grouped by release duration with R2 of –0.64 to 0.99 and –0.38 to 0.95 in 2011 and 2013, respectively. Modeling CRF N release grouped by release duration would not be recommended for CRF 180-d release (DR), because coating technologies behaviors differ in response to high fall soil temperature in polyethylene mulched beds. However, with further model calibration, grouping CRFs of 90 to 140 DR to simulate the CRF N release profile may allow the ATCIM to predict CRF N release without performing the pouch field method, which currently negated the usefulness of the ATCIM in a tomato production system.

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Meta-Analysis Approach to Assess the Effects of Soil Tillage and Fertilization Source under Different Cropping Systems

Agriculture ◽

10.3390/agriculture11090823 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (9) ◽

pp. 823

Author(s):

Mohamed Allam ◽

Emanuele Radicetti ◽

Verdiana Petroselli ◽

Roberto Mancinelli

Keyword(s):

Grain Yield ◽

Crop Yield ◽

Cropping Systems ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Organic Fertilizers ◽

Soil Tillage ◽

Reduced Tillage ◽

Crop Species ◽

Tillage Practices ◽

The Impact

Crop yield under reduced tillage (RT) practices is a concern for sustainable production worldwide because it is related to different environmental and agronomic factors than conventionally tilled soils. This study aimed to evaluate how climate, soil, and farming practices could affect crop yield under RT, especially under different sources of fertilisation [mineral (M), mineral + organic (MO), and organic (O)]. Multilevel meta-analysis was adopted. The analysis was performed taking into consideration environmental conditions, soil properties, crop rotation, and crop species. Only studies that reported the interaction effect of soil tillage and nutrients management on grain yield were included. The results suggest that the impact of soil tillage and fertilisation sources on crop yield depended on crop species. Using reduced tillage practices, adopting only organic nutrient sources could produce enough grains for legume crops. However, combining both inorganic and organic fertilizers added benefits for cereal crops in terms of grain yield production. This study highlights how conservation tillage practices could be affected by environmental and agronomic factors.

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Release Mechanisms for Slow- and Controlled-release Fertilizers and Strategies for Their Use in Vegetable Production

HortTechnology ◽

10.21273/hortsci.19.1.10 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 19 (1) ◽

pp. 10-12 ◽

Cited By ~ 44

Author(s):

Kelly T. Morgan ◽

Kent E. Cushman ◽

Shinjiro Sato

Keyword(s):

Controlled Release ◽

Soil Temperature ◽

Slow Release ◽

Urea Formaldehyde ◽

Soil Microbial Activity ◽

Vegetable Production ◽

Temperature Dependent ◽

Coated Materials ◽

Coated Urea ◽

The Impact

Fertilizer material costs, particularly nitrogen (N), have increased substantially over the past 5 years. Increased costs, along with increased awareness of the impact of fertilizer leaching on the environment in humid regions, have increased interest in use of slow-release fertilizer (SRF) or controlled-release fertilizer (CRF) materials. The goals of SRF and CRF use are that no nutrient should be limiting for crop uptake, there should be improved nutrient uptake efficiency, and nutrient-leaching potential should be reduced. These considerations are particularly important for crops grown on sandy soils with relatively low nutrient and water holding capacities. Release rates of biodegradable, or slow-release materials, such urea formaldehyde, isobutylidene diurea, and methylene urea are proportional to soil microbial activity and are therefore soil temperature dependent. These materials are N sources and depend on soil biological activity, thus, soil temperature during specific crop growth phenology must be considered and release may be delayed by soil fumigation. Whereas CRFs depend on diffusion through coatings and not biodegradation, both are soil moisture and temperature dependent. Examples of coated materials are sulfur-coated urea, polymer-coated urea, and polymer/sulfur-coated urea. The advantage of these materials is that leachable fertilizer elements other than N can be incorporated within the coating. However, this comes at an increased cost. The use of any single or combination of these materials depends on time of year, the length of crop cycle and crop nutrient demand patterns, and the use of soil fumigants.

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Controlled Release Urea Fertilizers Affect the Growth and Quality of Selected Foliage Plants

HortScience ◽

10.21273/hortsci.30.4.857b ◽

1995 ◽

Vol 30 (4) ◽

pp. 857B-857

Author(s):

Paul K. Murakami ◽

Fred D. Rauch

Keyword(s):

Controlled Release ◽

Nitrogen Sources ◽

Plant Production ◽

Foliage Plants ◽

Coated Urea ◽

Foliage Plant ◽

The Cost ◽

N Rates ◽

Controlled Release Urea

Three formulations of an encapsulated urea product and one sulfur-coated urea were evaluated at 0 to 4 times the recommended rate on Chomaedorea elegans, Chomaedorea seifrizii, Chrysalidocarpus lutescens, Spathiphyllum `Tasson', and Rhapis excelsa against a standard controlled-release fertilizer at equal N rates. Each plant species responded differently to the fertilizer sources. Chomaedorea seifrizii and Spathiphyllum `Tasson' did not exhibit preferences for fertilizer source from top-growth measurements. Chomaedorea elegans, Chrysalidocarpus lutescens, and Rhapis excelsa growth measurements indicate that fertilizer source affected growth and quality of the plants. The general recommendation for foliage plant production is an equal ratio of ammoniacal to nitrate nitrogen sources. Economically, this ratio makes the fertilizer more expensive than other traditional fertilizers. The use of a controlled-release urea fertilizer has the benefit of being a cheaper source of N and would lower the cost of production, but results on the selected foliage plants indicate that the fertilizer composition is important in plant production.

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Comparison of Controlled-release Nitrogen Fertilizers on Turfgrass in a Moderate Temperature Area

HortScience ◽

10.21273/hortsci.33.7.1203 ◽

1998 ◽

Vol 33 (7) ◽

pp. 1203-1206 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

M. Zhang ◽

M. Nyborg ◽

S.S. Malhi

Keyword(s):

Controlled Release ◽

Poa Pratensis ◽

N Uptake ◽

Residual Effect ◽

Kentucky Bluegrass ◽

Nitrogen Fertilizers ◽

N Availability ◽

Release Rates ◽

Coated Urea ◽

Controlled Release Urea

Coating of conventional urea with polymers is designed to improve N availability to crops. A field experiment was conducted from 1993 to 1994 on turfgrass at Ellerslie, Alta., Canada, to determine release rates of coated urea applied on turfgrass thatch surface, and the effect of coated urea application on growth, color, and N uptake of turfgrass. The experiment was established on existing stands of a mixture of `Merion' Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.) and `Gennuina' creeping red fescue (Festuca rubra L.) growing on a Black Chernozemic (Typic Cryoboroll) soil. The annual rate of N application was 100 kg·ha-1 in 1993 and 1994. The release rate of urea fertilizers was determined by the weight loss of the fertilizer granules after application in polyvinyl chloride (PVC) cylinders inserted into the turfgrass thatch. Some coated urea fertilizers released most of their N within the growing season (e.g., Sherritt-G, Polyon 4%, and SulfurKote), while others released only half their N (e.g., Esso T-90 and Meister 7), probably because of the cool ambient summer temperature in the area. The growth and color of turfgrass were more uniform in some controlled-release fertilizer treatments (e.g., Esso T-90, Meister 7, Polyon 4%, and SulfurKote) than in noncoated urea and NH4NO3 treatments. Promotion of growth in 1994 as a residual effect of the 1993 controlled-release urea fertilizer application was also noted. The results suggest that the application of some controlled-release urea fertilizers (with 70- to 90-day release rates) can produce the most consistent quality turfgrass.

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Agronomic Assessment of a Controlled-Release Polymer-Coated Urea-Based Fertilizer in Maize

Plants ◽

10.3390/plants10030594 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (3) ◽

pp. 594

Author(s):

Ricardo Gil-Ortiz ◽

Miguel Ángel Naranjo ◽

Antonio Ruiz-Navarro ◽

Marcos Caballero-Molada ◽

Sergio Atares ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Controlled Release ◽

Field Experiments ◽

Crop Yields ◽

Nutrient Use Efficiency ◽

Nutrient Use ◽

Coated Urea ◽

Polymer Coated Urea ◽

Slow Release Urea ◽

Yield Responses ◽

The Impact

Increasing nutrient use efficiency of fertilizers is one of the major challenges to improve crop yields and minimize environmental impacts. This work compared the efficacy of a new ecological polymer-coated urea fertilizer and a slow release urea-based traditional fertilizer. Reductions in the N doses of the polymer-coated fertilizer were tested. A comparative study was first carried out by measuring the different physiological and yield parameters at the micro-scale level, and later-on field experiments were performed. Grain yield in the field was significantly higher (20%) when applying the new controlled-release fertilizer than when using the traditional one at the same dose. A 20% reduction in N content in the new fertilizer gave similar physiological and yield responses compared to the traditional fertilizer. We conclude that this new fertilizer can be used in extensive cropping of maize, guaranteeing at least the same yields than traditional fertilizers, with a reduction on the impact on soil properties and nitrogen losses.

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New Zealand made controlled release coated urea increases winter growth rates of Italian ryegrass with lower N leaching than uncoated urea

Proceedings of the New Zealand Grassland Association ◽

10.33584/jnzg.2008.70.2729 ◽

2008 ◽

pp. 85-89

Author(s):

P.A. Bishop ◽

H.Y. Liu ◽

M.J. Hedley ◽

P. Loganathan

Keyword(s):

New Zealand ◽

Controlled Release ◽

Nitrate Leaching ◽

Growth Rates ◽

Dry Matter ◽

Italian Ryegrass ◽

N Leaching ◽

Leaching Losses ◽

Coated Urea ◽

Controlled Release Urea

In a field trial the application of 5 and 7% polyurethane coated controlled release urea, 10% dicyanodiamide coated urea and three x 50 split urea (SU) applications at 150 kg N/ha (150 N) increased winter pasture dry matter (DM) production of Italian ryegrass over the June-September period by between 1666 to 2240 kg DM/ha. These treatments also reduced nitrate leaching losses from 6.8 to 1 kg N/ha compared to urea (U). Keywords: controlled release urea, nitrogen utilisation, pasture, ryegrass

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