Nitrogen Volatility Control forNitrogen Volatility Control for Forestry

Robert Campbell, Garnett Whitehurst, Tim Albaugh, Eric Sucre, Zakiya Leggett

Portions of  Copyrighted Presentations Belonging to Brooks Whitehurst Associates Inc , and Forest Nutrition Cooperative  Used with Permission.

Robert Campbell, Eric Sucre, and Zakiya Leggett; Weyerhaeuser NR Company; Garnett Whitehurst, Brooks Whitehurst, Associates, Inc.; and Tim 

Albaugh, Forest Nutrition Cooperative.g , p

1

Forest Fertilization HistorySoutheastern U.S.

Albaugh, et.al., 2007

1400

1600Acres with fertilization of any kind

800

1000

1200

x100

0)

400

600

800

Acr

es (x

0

200

400

1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010Year

• Industry/University research and education cooperative y y psince 1970.

• Universities: North Carolina State Jose Stape directorNorth Carolina State, Jose Stape, director,        Lee Allen, professor emeritus.

Virginia Tech, Tom Fox, director.University of Concepcion, Rafael Rubilar, director.

Forest Nutrition CooperativeForest Nutrition Cooperative

• LANDOWNER MEMBERSA i F t M t

• Milliken ForestryM l Ti b M t• American Forest Management                

• Arauco‐Bioforest• The Campbell Group• Claritas

• Molpus Timber Management• Plum Creek Timber Company• Potlatch Forest Holdings• Rayonier

• Deforsa• Dougherty & Dougherty Forestry• FOMEX• Forest Capital Partners

y• Refocosta• RMK Timberland Group• Resource Management Service• Smurfit Carton de Columbia• Forest Capital Partners

• Forest Investment Associates• Forestal Mininco• Forestal Rio Biabo

• Smurfit Carton de Columbia• Smurfit Carton de Venezuela• Sonoco Products• Superior Pine Products

• Hancock Timber Resource Group• Jordan Lumber• Masisa

• Westervelt Company• Weyerhaeuser Company

Forest Nutrition CooperativeForest Nutrition Cooperative

• SUSTAINING MEMBERSBASF

• CORRESPONDING MEMBERS• BASF• NV Division of Forest Resources• Southeastern Community College• Virginia Department of Forestry

• Agrotain• ArborGen• Bayer Crop Science• CellForg p y • CellFor• DuPont Crop Protection• Forestry & Land Resource 

Consultants• Gavilon• ImageTree• International Plant Nutrition 

iInstitute• Payne’s Flying Service• Syngenta• Thrash Aviation• Thrash Aviation

Forest Fertilization HistorySoutheastern U SSoutheastern U.S.

Albaugh, et.al., 2007

1400

1000

1200

Establishment Mid-Rotation

600

800

es (x

1000

)

200

400

600

Acr

e

0

200

1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010YearYear

Forest Fertilization HistorySoutheastern U SSoutheastern U.S.

Albaugh, et.al., 2007

1200

1000

Ground RockTSPDAPUnspecified sourceOther sources

600

800

es (x

1000

)

200

400Acr

e

0

200

1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010YearYear

Forest Fertilization HistorySoutheastern U SSoutheastern U.S.

Albaugh, et.al., 2007

180

140

160

(x10

00)

CUFUreaDAPTSPOther

80

100

120

eria

l app

lied

(

40

60

Tons

of m

ate

0

20

1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005Year

T

Year

Forest Nutrition CooperativeForest Nutrition Cooperative• More information: 

http://www forestnutrition orghttp://www.forestnutrition.org• Historical Patterns of Forest 

Fertilization in the Southeastern United States from 1969 to 2004, 2007 Timothy J Albaugh H L Allen2007, Timothy J. Albaugh, H. L. Allen, and Thomas R. Fox, South. J. Appl. For. 31(3)129‐137.

• From 1969‐2004, 16 million acres fertilized.

• Acres fertilized doubled every 2 years from 1991 to 1999 after Region Wide 13 results became available.

• Peak of 1.59 million acres fertilized in 1999.

• Fluctuation of annual acres fertilized related to fertilizer cost and product values.

Economic Growth ResponsesEconomic Growth Responses

© Brooks Whitehurst Associates Inc 6‐2008

11

Volatility TestingVolatility Testing

• Collect ammonia released after a fertilizerCollect ammonia released after a fertilizer sample is placed on soil

– Control soil moisture (15% ‐ 18%)

C l (28 °C 82 °F)– Control temperature (28 °C or 82 °F)

– Control humidity of air above soilM i t t t d i– Moisture saturated air

– Soil pH is not directly controlled but is the pH of whatever soil is being testedwhatever soil is being tested

12

© Brooks Whitehurst Associates Inc 6‐2008

13

© Brooks Whitehurst Associates Inc 6-2008

Analytical ProcedureAnalytical Procedure• Study is started by placing a 

sample of fertilizer on thesample of fertilizer on the hydrated soil

• Air is passed through soil chamber and collected in an acid lsolution

• The ammonia scrubbing solution is replaced at timed intervals – 12 to 24 hours12 to 24 hours– Test length varies from 2 days to 

14 days• Ammonia content of the 

scrubbing solution is measuredscrubbing solution is measured using an ion selective electrode for ammonia

© Brooks Whitehurst Associates Inc 6‐2008

Nitrogen Loss for Urea as a Function of Application Rate(Mississippi Soil)

30

3560 lb N per acre180 lb N per acre

N=1 for All Curves

n Lo

st 25

30 240 lb N per acre

rcen

t Nitr

oge

15

20

Per

5

10

Measurement Conditions - Temperature 28 oC;Soil pH 5.4, Soil Moisture 18%, Relative Humidity of Air (100%)Chambers Swept with Moisture Saturated Air at 1.8 L/min

Time (days)

0 1 2 3 4 5 60

© Brooks Whitehurst Associates Inc 6‐2008

15

Nitrogen Loss for Urea on a Simulated Litter Layer Above a Forest Soil

(Columbus Mississippi)(Columbus Mississippi)

30

35Measurement Conditions - Temperature 28 oC;Soil pH 5.4, Soil Moisture 18%, Relative Humidity of Air (100%)Chambers Swept with Moisture Saturated Air at 1.8 L/min

roge

n Lo

st

20

25

Per

cent

Nitr

5

10

15

Urea on Litter Layer (N=2)Urea on Bare Soil (N=2)

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16

0© Brooks Whitehurst Associates Inc 6‐2008

Time (days)

16

Cumulative Nitrogen Loss for DAP, MAP and Urea on a Mississippi Soil

30

35N

itrog

en L

ost

20

25

Urea 180 lb N per acre (n=4)DAP 30 lb N per acre (30 lb P per acre (n=2))MAP 15 lb N (25 lb P ( 2)

Perc

ent N

10

15MAP 15 lb N per acre (25 lb P per acre (n=2)

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 160

5

Time (days)

0 6 8 0 6

Measurement Conditions - Temperature 28 oC;Soil pH 5.4, Soil Moisture 18%, Relative Humidity of Air (100%)Chambers Swept with Moisture Saturated Air at 1.8 L/min

© Brooks Whitehurst Associates Inc 6‐2008

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Chambers Swept with Moisture Saturated Air at 1.8 L/min

Cumulative Nitrogen Loss on a Mississippi Soil for A Blend of Urea and DAPfor a Fertilization Rate of 200 lb N per acre and 25 lb P per Acrep p

30

35n=3 for each point

Lost

25

30

ent N

itrog

en L

15

20

Perc

e

10 Measurement Conditions - Temperature 28 oC;Soil pH 5.4, Soil Moisture 18%, Relative Humidity of Air (100%)Chambers Swept with Moisture Saturated Air at 1.8 L/min

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 80

5

© Brooks Whitehurst Associates Inc 6‐2008

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Time (days)

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Cumulative Nitrogen Loss for Urea and ARBORITE(R) 39-9-0 on a Mississippi Soil when Applied at a Rate of 180 lb N per acre

30

35og

en L

ost

20

25

Perc

ent N

itro

10

15 Urea (n=2)ARBORITE(R) 39-9-0 with 0.19% B (n=2)

P

0

5

Measurement Conditions - Temperature 28 oC;Soil pH 5.4, Soil Moisture 18%, Relative Humidity of Air (100%)Chambers Swept with Moisture Saturated Air at 1.8 L/min

Time (days)0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16

0

© Brooks Whitehurst Associates Inc 6‐2008

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ARBORITE® 

h h dPhosphate Coated Urea• Central particle is 

granular urea

• Binder is an aqueousBinder is an aqueous mixture of a boron compound and copper sulfate which acts tosulfate which acts to partially inhibit urease

E t l l i• External layer is a phosphate source such as MAP  © Brooks Whitehurst Associates Inc 6‐2008

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Nitrogen Loss for Urea and Arborite® 39-9-0 on a Soil with a pH of 6.4as a Function of Nitrogen Application Rateas a Function of Nitrogen Application Rate

50

60Askins Soil re-hydrated to 18% moisture before fertilizer applicationChambers swept with moistture saturated airTempertuare 28 oCAir Flow 1.8 L/min

N=4 all Curves

roge

n Lo

ss

40

Arborite® 39-9-0 productprepared from MAP Powder from Vicksburg, MSusing Binder 75

Product contains 0.15% B

Perc

ent N

itr

20

30

Cum

lativ

e

10 Urea 360 lb N/acUrea 240 lb N/acUrea 120 lb N/acA b i ® 360 lb N/

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

0Arborite® at 360 lb N/acArborite® at 240 lb N/acArborite® at 120 lb N/ac

21

Time (days)

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

© Brooks Whitehurst Associates Inc 6‐2009

Cumulative Nitrogen Loss for Various Phosphate Coated Urea Products and Urea on a Soil with a pH of 6.280

Loss

60(N=8)

Askins Soil (new collection) re-hydrated before fertilizer applicationChambers swept with moistture saturated airTempertuare 28 CAir Flow 1.8 L/min

nt N

itrog

en L

40 (N=8)

(N=4)

lativ

e Pe

rcen

20

N=4

N=8

N=8

Ti (d )

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Cum

ul

0

Time (days)B77EX2 39-9-0B77EX1 39-9-0Arborite® 39-9-0 Binder 77 150 b N/acArborite® 39-9-0 Binder 75 150 lb N/acUrea 90 lb N/acU 150 lb N/

All Coated Products Contain 0.15% Boron

© Brooks Whitehurst Associates Inc 6‐2009

22

Urea 150 lb N/acUrea 180 lb N/ac

Volume Growth 2 and 4 Years After Treatment at Weyerhaeuser's Scooba, MS TestNo treatment (control) vs Urea+DAP vs Arborite™ [Coated Urea Fertililizer]

P>|t| for H0:Ti=Tj are shown above each bar for within year comparisons

800

900

)

T3=T1 (.02)T3=T2 (.14)

600

700

800

th (c

u.ft.

/ac)

681

748

820T2=T1 (.18)

400

500

600

lum

e G

row

t

2T3=T1 (.01)T3 T2 ( 15)

200

300

400

mul

ativ

e Vo

l

4T3=T2 (.15)

T2=T1 (.09)

0

100Cum

T1 - Control T2 - Urea+DAP (150N,15P) T3 - Arborite™ (154N,17P)

TreatmentDisclaimer: Results are from a single soil and growing period. Response on other soils or growing season conditions may vary. © 2008 Weyerhaeuser Company. All rights reserved.

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SummarySummary

• Forest Nutrition Cooperative and internal Weyerhaeuser Company research since 1970 have established the value of fertilization in plantation forestry.

• A peak of 1.59 million acres was reached in 1999 with 16 million acres fertilized between 1969 and 2004. 

• Tons of Arborite® coated urea fertilizer applied have increased since 2000 while urea/DAP tons have fluctuated with price levels. 

• Urea nitrogen volatility loss in plantations was identified as a significant cost of fertilization in the early 1990’s.

• Weyerhaeuser Company, Brooks Whitehurst Associates and EnCee y p y,Chemical Sales  developed Arborite® coated urea fertilizer as a forestry product with N, P, and B and volatility control.

• Our laboratory analytical procedure for volatility measurement produces y y p y pconsistent, repeatable results under dynamic, controlled conditions. 

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SummarySummary

• Percent Nitrogen loss increases with N rate.• Percent N loss increases with forest floor compared to bare ground.• Percent N loss from urea and DAP can be 30% in seven days.• Arborite® can lower percent N loss by a third from 30% to 20% under the 

same conditions..• Higher pH (6.2) soils can have increased N loss, up to 60%.• Experimental Arborite® formulations can reduce losses by 60% under 

h di ithese conditions.• The Scooba, MS trial provides an example of volume growth benefit from 

the volatility control, single granule, and boron effects of Arborite®.A li ti f thi ti t h l t i lt l i tl• Application of this coating technology to agricultural crops is currently being tested. 

• The delivery of a volatility controlled urea with additional nutrients in a single granule has biological and economic benefitssingle granule has biological and economic benefits.