When it comes to managing nitrogen, every pound matters. Nitrogen is not only one of the most expensive crop inputs, it’s also one of the most vulnerable to loss. Rainfall, soil conditions, and timing of application all influence how much nitrogen is actually available to the plant when it needs it most. That’s why nitrogen stabilizers are an important tool in a grower’s fertility program. But as our recent field trials confirmed, not all nitrogen stabilizers are created equal.
The Objective: Testing Pre-Plant Stabilizers in Corn
At our 2025 Crop Showcase, we evaluated how two different nitrogen stabilizers (one a true stabilizer, and one marketed as a stabilizer) performed when applied with pre-plant UAN on corn. The goal was to measure their effectiveness in protecting nitrogen during a very wet spring — conditions that typically accelerate nitrogen loss.
Field Trial 02: Pre-plant Nitrogen Stabilizer Study, 2025 Crop Showcase.
Trial Design:
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Location: Clear Meadow Farm
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Crop: Corn planted April 17 (Dekalb 68-35, 34k population, 250 bu yield goal)
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Base Fertility: 27.5 units N as dry fertilizer + 133.5 units N as UAN pre-plant
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Treatments:
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Control – No stabilizer
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Trident – 6.5 oz/ac (1 qt/ton UAN)
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Competitor – 2 qt/ac product
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Notably, the nitrogen model called for an additional 70 units of N on June 2 — but we did not apply this top-dress to better isolate stabilizer performance.*
* Based on this season’s field setup/inputs along with current and projected weather patterns.
Rainfall:
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21.5” cumulative in the first 105 days after planting
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5.5” of rain in the first 35 days — prime leaching and denitrification conditions
What Sets These Stabilizers Apart
Trident
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Season long protection against all three forms of nitrogen loss (volatilization, leaching, denitrification)
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Active ingredients: NBPT + DCD + Co-polymer in a solvent blend
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Delivers lower chemical load to the soil compared to industry standards
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Eligible for CSP funding
Competitor Product
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Roughly half humic-based, half ATS (ammonium thiosulfate)
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Aids in phosphorus mineralization and balances N for residue breakdown
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Provides value to soil biology, but not designed to block all loss pathways
Lessons from a Wet Season
The wet conditions at planting and throughout early vegetative stages created a high-risk environment for nitrogen loss. Here’s what the trial demonstrated:
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The control plot (no stabilizer) was most exposed to leaching and denitrification, meaning less N was available when the crop needed it.
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Trident, with its multi-pathway protection, provided broader insurance for applied nitrogen and maintained availability deeper into the season.
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The competitor product, while offering soil health benefits, did not deliver the same level of N-loss protection. Its performance was less consistent under prolonged wet stress. The competitor product isn’t designed for N stabilization; however it is being sold as one.
The takeaway? Stabilizers (no matter how they are marketed) aren’t interchangeable. True nitrogen stabilizers directly protect nitrogen from volatilization, leaching, and denitrification. Knowing the difference, and matching the right product to your conditions, is critical to protecting yield potential.
Why It Matters
With fertilizer costs high and weather patterns increasingly unpredictable, farmers need every unit of N to count. Additionally, many products on the market protect against leaching/denitrification, or volatilization. Rather than purchasing a product that “checks the box,” The Mill Agronomy team suggests growers purchase a product that protects their UAN investment from any of mother nature’s forces – cool, wet, hot or dry conditions. The right stabilizer can:
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Extend nitrogen availability deeper into the season
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Improve nitrogen-use efficiency (NUE)
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Protect yield potential, especially in high-rainfall years or in hot/dry conditions, ripe for volatization
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Contribute to environmental stewardship by reducing N loss
Looking Ahead
We’ll be sharing full yield results from this study at our Winter Grower Meetings, where you’ll see how stabilizer choice translated into bushels. For now, the early lesson is clear: not all nitrogen stabilizers are created equal. Selecting the right tool can be the difference between nitrogen that feeds your crop and nitrogen that simply goes to waste.
👉 Want to learn more about nitrogen management strategies tailored to your fields? Contact The Mill Agronomy team today at www.themillagronomy.com or call 800-993-3300.
