Many producers are getting ready for fall anhydrous application. However, very dry soils in many areas of Kansas can be a concern. When the soil is dry, will it be able to hold anhydrous ammonia, or will some or most of the ammonia be lost shortly after application?
There are three factors that come into play when applying anhydrous ammonia to dry soils.
Chemical - Ammonia (NH3) needs to react with water shortly after application in order toconvert into ammonium (NH4+), which is a molecule that can adhere to clay and organic matter in the soil. Ammonia is very soluble in water. After it is placed in the soil, NH3 reacts with water in the soil to form NH4+, which is retained on the soil cation exchange capacity sites. This process takes a little time – it does not occur immediately upon contact with the soil. The main controlling factors in the conversion of NH3 to NH4+ are soil temperature, soil moisture, and soil pH. The higher the soil temperature and the wetter the soil, the more rapid the conversion occurs. If the ammonia does not react with water, it will remain as a gas that could escape from the soil. Also, the equilibrium between NH3 and NH4+ is affected by soil pH. More NH3 will remain unconverted in the soil longer at higher application rates and at higher soil pH levels.
Physical - Dry soils may be cloddy, with large air spaces where the soil has cracked. This can allow the gas to physically escape into the air before it has a chance to be converted into ammonium. Getting the soil sealed properly above the injection slot can also be a problem in dry soils. Loss of the ammonium gas can begin immediately after application and continue for several days to weeks if there is no moisture. N losses can be greater than 50%.
Application depth - The deeper the ammonia is applied, the more likely the ammonia will have moisture to react with, and the easier the sealing.
So, can anhydrous ammonia be applied to dry soils?
The answer is yes - as long as the ammonia is applied deep enough to reach some moisture and the soil is well sealed above the injection slot. If the soil is dry and cloddy, there may be considerable losses of ammonia within just a few days of application if the soil is not well sealed above the injection slot and/or the injection point is too shallow.
Producers should be able to tell if anhydrous is escaping from the soil during application or if the ammonia isn’t being applied deeply enough. If ammonia can be smelled, the producer should either change the equipment setup to get better sealing or deeper injection or wait until the soil has better moisture conditions.
In short, producers can minimize this potential loss problem by applying the anhydrous ammonia at the proper depth (at least 6 to 8 inches in 30- to 40-inch spacings) and using covering disks behind the knives or sealing wings ("beaver tails") on the knives.
Anhydrous Application Considerations
Soils across Kansas are still running above 50°F at the 4-inch depth (Figure 1), and most of Kansas is either abnormally dry or experiencing some level of drought. It is best to delay anhydrous ammonia applications until soil temperatures drop below this threshold and soil moisture improves. Applying anhydrous ammonia in the fall ahead of the following corn crop has some appeal to producers. For one thing, fall fertilizer application spreads out the workload, so there’s more time to focus on corn planting in the spring. Secondly, wet conditions in the spring sometimes prevent producers from applying lower-cost anhydrous ammonia ahead of corn planting and force them to apply more expensive sources after planting. Equally important for many producers have been issues with anhydrous ammonia availability at times in the spring.
Figure 1. Average soil temperature (°F) at 4 inches for the 7-day period ending on October 21, 2024. Soil temperatures in individual fields in any given area will vary with differences in vegetative cover, soil texture, soil moisture, and other factors. (Kansas Mesonet)
Despite those advantages, producers should be aware that there is potential for higher nitrogen (N) loss in the spring following a fall application due to nitrification of the ammonium during late winter and very early spring and subsequent leaching or denitrification.
Reactions of Anhydrous Ammonia in the Soil
Anhydrous ammonia has a strong affinity for water (hydrophilic) and readily reacts with water in its surrounding environment. This hydrophilic nature can be detrimental if the ammonia comes in direct contact with plants or exposed skin, but it can also be advantageous when applied correctly as a fertilizer.
When anhydrous ammonia is injected into the soil, the ammonia gas (NH3) reacts rapidly with moisture in the soil and is converted to ammonium (NH4+). This ammonium is no longer in a gas form, and, being positively charged, it can be bound to clay and organic matter particles within the soil. This bound ammonium does not readily move in most soils, and leaching is not an issue except for some sandy soils with very low cation exchange capacity (CEC).
While this process does require moisture, the amount of water needed is quite low. The physical properties of dry soils cause the most common problems when applying anhydrous ammonia to dry soils. Poor closure of the injection furrow and voids and cracks in the dry soil can allow the ammonia to escape to the surface before converting it to ammonium. Using deeper injection depths and wing sealers in dry soils increases the amount of soil the gas comes into contact with and can significantly reduce ammonia losses back through the surface. Closing disks can also help seal the injection furrow and prevent losses at the injection site.
When soil temperatures are above freezing, specific soil microbes convert ammonium into nitrate-N (NO3-) in a process called nitrification. Since this is a microbial reaction, soil temperatures strongly influence it. The higher the temperature, the quicker the conversion will occur. Depending on soil temperature, pH, and moisture content, converting all the ammonia applied in the fall to nitrate can take 2-3 months or longer.
By delaying application until cold weather, most of the applied N can enter the winter as ammonium, and over-winter losses of the applied N will be minimal. Producers should wait until soil temperatures are less than 50°F at a depth of 4 inches before applying ammonia in the fall or early winter. Nitrification does not cease below 50°F, but the soil will likely become cold enough to limit the nitrification process. In many areas of Kansas, soils may stay warmer than 50 degrees well into late fall and only freeze for short periods during the winter.
Using a nitrification inhibitor can help reduce N losses from fall N applications under specific conditions, particularly when soil temperatures warm up for a period after application.
One should also consider soil physical properties when considering fall application. Fall applications of N for corn should not be made on sandy soils prone to leaching, particularly those over shallow, unprotected aquifers. Instead, fall N applications should focus on deep, medium- to heavy-textured soils where water movement through the profile is slower.
When is Nitrogen Lost?
When considering fall applications of N, remember that loss of N during the fall and winter is not usually a problem in Kansas. The conversion of “protected” ammonium to “loss-prone” nitrate during the fall and winter can be minimized by waiting to make applications until soils have cooled and using products such as nitrification inhibitors. The fact that essentially all the N may remain in the soil as ammonium all winter, coupled with our dry winters, means minimal N is likely to be lost over winter.
However, soils often warm up early in the spring, allowing nitrification to start well before planting corn. Generally, if the wheat is greening up, nitrification has begun! Thus, one potential downside of fall application is that nitrification can begin in early March and essentially be complete by late May and June.
Summary
If anhydrous ammonia is to be applied in the fall, several factors must be considered, including soil texture, temperature, and soil moisture. Consider the following guidelines:
- Do not apply anhydrous ammonia in the fall on sandy soils.
- On silt loam or heavier-textured soils, wait to apply anhydrous ammonia until soil temperatures at the 4-inch depth are below 50 °F. Grass-covered soil at the 2-inch depth typically reaches 50 degrees around November 20 in central Kansas (Figure 2). Depending on the soil type, you can expect the 4-inch depth to lag behind that date and earlier if the ground is bare.
- Deeper injection depths (6 to 8 inches), wing sealers, and closing disks can help mitigate application problems when soils are dry.
- Use a nitrification inhibitor with anhydrous ammonia to help reduce fall nitrification.
- To check the soil temperature in your area, visit the K-State Research and Extension Weather Data Library at http://mesonet.k-state.edu/agriculture/soiltemp/
Figure 2. Hutchinson 10SW Mesonet station 2024 2-inch soil temperature compared to climatology (1987-2021) under grass cover. Soil temperatures in individual fields in any given
