Defining And Understanding Enhanced Efficiency Fertilizers

Enhanced efficiency nitrogen fertilizers can work to reduce nitrogen loss in your crops. But what’s really going on down there, below the surface?

When it comes to enhanced efficiency nitrogen fertilizers, they are all trying to tackle one or more of the following:

• Volatilization, the loss of nitrogen to the atmosphere as ammonia gas.
• Leaching, the movement of nitrogen with water beyond the root zone.
• Denitrification, the process where anaerobic organisms strip oxygen from nitrate, releasing nitrogen gas, nitric oxide or nitrous oxide into the air.

Each form of loss reduces the nitrogen available for plant uptake, reducing efficiency, potential yield, and air and water quality.

Types of enhanced efficiency nitrogen fertilizers
Enhanced-efficiency nitrogen fertilizers come in a variety of forms and can be grouped in two main categories: Inhibitors or stabilizers and slow- or controlled-release fertilizers. Inhibitors and stabilizers are additives that stop or slow the changes to applied nitrogen that occur once it is applied to the soil. Some, like urease inhibitors, offer short-term protection against volatilization only, while nitrification inhibitors protect against leaching and denitrification. Slow release and controlled release enhanced efficiency fertilizers deliver nitrogen that releases over time. In these cases, release time is determined by the mechanism of release, whether that’s biochemical decomposition, coatings or other means. Depending on those compounds and the mechanism of release, these products can reduce some or all three forms of nitrogen loss. What about 4R nutrient stewardship?
Enhanced efficiency fertilizers can help ensure your crops get the nutrients they need, in an available form, at a rate that’s useable by crops at the right time, and by making sure that nutrients stay where they are supposed to instead of being lost to the environment. When properly used, enhanced-efficiency fertilizers can play a large role in increasing environmental sustainability and the long-term profitability of your operation.
Government incentives
There are several incentive programs available to growers using enhanced efficiency fertilizers. While the majority of programs are set by individual states/provinces based on resourced priorities and national incentives, we have provided a list of some of the available programs below.
USA

• Environmental Quality Incentive Program – voluntary program that reduces contamination from agricultural sources, optimize nutrients to minimize input costs and nonpoint source pollution, and increase climate resiliency via soil health
• Conservation Stewardship Program assists producers in building conservation practices that strengthen their operation including enhanced resiliency to climate and market volatility, decreased need for inputs, and improved wildlife habitat conditions
• Regional Conservation Partnership Program – promotes coordination of NRCS conservation activities to address on-farm, watershed, and regional natural resource concerns
• Agricultural Conservation Easement Program – protects the agricultural viability and related conservation values by limiting negative impacts of nonagricultural land uses to protect and restore grazing lands and wetlands

Canada

• Agricultural Climate Solutions – On-Farm Climate Action Fund
  • B.C. Investment Agriculture Foundation
  • Canola Council of Canada
  • Manitoba Association of Watersheds
  • New Brunswick Soil and Crop Improvement Association
  • Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association
  • Perennia Food and Agriculture Inc.
  • Prince Edward Island Federation of Agriculture
  • Results Driven Agriculture Research
  • L'Union des producteurs agricoles