A tool withstanding the test of time

In the search for newer, better and more efficient agricultural tools, only a few stand the test of time.

The moldboard plow certainly comes to mind. This tool was invented in ancient Greece and refined in the 18th century. It revolutionized agriculture and remains foundational in some tillage systems today.

Nitrapyrin is another tool that is withstanding the test of time. Relied upon since 1976 for its unique ability to minimize below-ground loss of nitrogen to denitrification and leaching, nitrapyrin is a proven nitrogen stabilizer. It slows down the Nitrosomonas bacteria that converts ammonium to nitrate — the form vulnerable to loss when soils are warm and rainfall is abundant. 

Market factors drive quest to prove products work 

With today's extreme weather patterns, the critical need to maximize every input, and farmers' efforts to protect the environment make safeguarding supplemental nitrogen in the soil more important than ever. These factors drive farmers and manufacturers to continually compare and validate their practices to ensure they deliver results.

"Farmers who use our nitrogen stabilizer products continue to compare them to the new products coming to market," said Chris Kluemke, nitrogen stabilizers market development specialist at Corteva Agriscience. "There's nothing like comparing products on your own farm, in your own soil types and weather conditions.” 

"We’ve helped a number of farmers with their on-farm comparisons this year, and the initial soil sample results from the 2025 on-farm comparisons are following the same trend we saw in 2024 and prior years," Kluemke said. "The comparisons prove that when you use a high-quality stabilizer like N-Serve or Instinct NXTGEN nitrogen stabilizer you get positive and proven results."  

Initial soil samples from 2025 on-farm comparisons confirm more nitrogen in the ammonium form when farmers applied with N-Serve^® or Instinct NXTGEN^® nitrogen stabilizer. He is awaiting yield data from all locations to share in early 2026. 

Fall-applied anhydrous ammonia protected with N-Serve nitrogen stabilizer vs. competitors and untreated

The fall trials involve monthly soil sampling from December 2024 through April 2025 to compare what percentage of fall-applied nitrogen remains in the ammonium form throughout the winter and as the soil warms. Kluemke noted that at a soil temperature of 70 F, nitrogen fully converts to the nitrate form in only nine days. 

"In March 2025, as the soil warmed and nitrogen began to go through the nitrification cycle, we saw that N-Serve consistently outperformed the untreated checks and a competitor product in the same field," Kluemke said. "In May 2025, there was an average of 16% more nitrogen in the ammonium form with N-Serve than where competitive products were used. That means there was more nitrogen available later in the season when the corn plants needed it most." 

Averaging the 2025 on-farm comparison data available to date, N-Serve kept an average of 29% of nitrogen in the ammonium form compared to 20% in untreated soil and 16% with competitive products. Yield data also supports nitrapyrin's effectiveness in improving nitrogen use efficiency. 

"We have yield data for seven of the comparisons. With N-Serve nitrogen stabilizer, the average yield is 252 bushels per acre. Where competitive products were used, the yield average was 245, and the untreated areas dropped off, averaging 234 bushels — nearly 20 bushels less per acre." Kluemke said. 

Excessive spring rainfall in parts of the Corn Belt contributed to loss of nitrogen and significantly lower yields in fields where fall-applied nitrogen wasn't protected.

Spring nitrogen applications safeguarded using nitrapyrin-based stabilizers

In 2025, the on-farm comparisons using nitrogen stabilizers with spring-applied nitrogen fertilizers also yielded similar results. Weather was a huge factor in the outcome due to great variations throughout the Corn Belt. 

“Some parts of the Midwest had a great spring – a dry March and April, but southern Illinois and Indiana and parts of Missouri and the upper Midwest had a horrible spring for nitrogen because it was so wet,” Kluemke said. “In these areas, protecting spring applications paid dividends because N-Serve and Instinct NXTGEN helped keep nitrogen in the ammonium form for up to six weeks after application.” 

To confirm this, Kluemke’s team gathered soil samples at two, four and six weeks after each of the spring applications. 

“The spring comparisons using a nitrogen stabilizer showed an average of 24% of the nitrogen stayed in the ammonium form six weeks after application, compared with 16% in the samples where no stabilizer was used,” Kluemke said. “The average yield from the five comparisons taken to yield so far is 226 bushels per acre with the stabilizer compared with a 216 bushel-per-acre average for the untreated areas. That’s a distinct difference, and it is in line with the 5.2% yield¹ potential benefit we’ve seen in many studies of nitrapyrin used with spring nitrogen applications in the past.”

As you evaluate your 2025 yields, nitrogen management plan and the weather conditions you encountered, we invite you to keep these on-farm comparisons in mind. Watch for the full yield results in early 2026. Contact your local Corteva representative to learn more about these proven nitrogen stabilizers and support for your own on-farm comparisons in 2026. 

¹ Wolt, J.D. 2004. A meta-evaluation of nitrapyrin agronomic and environmental effectiveness with emphasis on corn production in the Midwest. Numbers cited are average results comparing nitrogen applications applied with Optinyte® technology vs. non- stabilized applications. Results may vary.

  Instinct NXTGEN^® is not registered for sale or use in all states. Contact your state pesticide regulatory agency to determine if a product is registered for sale or use in your state. Do not fall-apply anhydrous ammonia south of Highway 16 in the state of Illinois. Optinyte^® is a registered active ingredient. Always read and follow label directions.