El Niño: a strategy for efficient nitrogen management

In a campaign where there could be abundant rainfall, making better use of nitrogen will be one of the challenges for corn producers. When there is excess water, part of the nutrient applied to the soil can be lost before the crop can use it, and this can end up affecting yields. In this context, Bunge warned that, given the prospects of a campaign influenced by the El Niño phenomenon, it will be important to pay special attention to the utilization of nitrogen. According to the company, in scenarios with abundant rainfall, the challenge is not only to determine how much fertilizer to apply but also to ensure that the nutrient remains available in the soil for the necessary time to be used by the plants. According to the information released by the firm, one of the main risks arises when nitrogen is in the form of nitrate, as it has greater mobility in the soil and heavy rains can wash it into deeper areas, out of reach of the roots. This process is known as leaching. ...