Canola Response to Enhanced Efficiency Nitrogen Fertilizer Products and Blends

Term: 1 Year, ending March 2025
Status: Complete
Researcher(s): Chris Holzapfel, IHARF; Amber Wall, WCA; Brianne McInnes, NARF; Jessica Enns, WARC; Zoe Galbraith, CLC; Mike Hall, ECRF
SaskCanola Investment: $77,500
Total Project Cost: $77,500
Funding Partners: N/A

Project Summary

Exploring potential benefits of enhanced efficiency fertilizer (EEF) nitrogen (N) products and blends with side-banding was identified as a priority by SaskCanola. In the spring of 2025, field trials to address this topic were initiated at Indian Head, Melfort, Prince Albert, Scott, Swift Current, and Yorkton, encompassing a wide range of soil/climatic conditions.

In addition to a control and several rates of side-banded urea, the treatments included polymer coated urea (ESN®), a urease inhibitor (ANVOL®), a nitrification inhibitor (eNtrench®), and a dual urease/nitrification inhibitor (SUPERU®). In addition to being applied alone, ESN® and SUPER® were tested in 25%, 50%, and 75% blends with untreated urea. Some locations had above optimal residual N levels and, for all locations, soil moisture reserves were initially low, but May and June were cool and wet while July was hot and dry. August weather was variable. The July heat and drought reduced yield potential relative to what was possible earlier in the season and the risk of environmental (denitrification, leaching, and volatilization) losses of N were considered low at all locations. With depleted yield potential and the low probability of N losses (particularly with side-band placement), we did not observe any yield benefits to any of the EEF N products, regardless of location. Furthermore, seed quality measurements did not provide any evidence of improved NUE with EEF N products, relative to untreated urea. For some locations, high residual N (Prince Albert, Swift Current, and Yorkton) and drought limited yields (Swift Current) reduced our ability to detect EEF benefits. At Scott only, we saw evidence of seedling injury with side-banded N whereby plant densities decreased linearly with increasing rates of untreated urea. Polymer coated ESN® reduced this toxicity with emergence improving as the proportion of ESN® in the blend was increased; however, no other EEF products showed such benefits. While yield benefits to EEF products are more likely with less optimal application timing/placement, they could occur with side-banding in years, locations, or landscape positions where environmental N losses are higher. This project is being repeated in 2025, at which point our results and recommendations will be updated.

Full Report PDF: Canola Response to Enhanced Efficiency Nitrogen Fertilizer Products and Blends

Link to 2025 Project: Canola Response to Enhanced Efficiency Nitrogen Fertilizer Products and Blends – Year 2