Both Instinct® II and N-Serve® (Dow AgroSciences) are sold as nitrogen stabilizers with the active ingredient nitrapyrin.

The primary difference between these two products is the form of nitrapyrin used in the stabilizer. Nitrapyrin is formulated as a capsule in Instinct® II, a water-based product that mixes well with UAN solutions (32% and 28%). In this format, it can also be mixed with ammonium sulfate, liquid manure, aqua ammonia, and other liquid fertilizers containing nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium.

In N-Serve®, an oil based nitrogen stabilizer that mixes well with anhydrous ammonia, nitrapyrin is formulated as an emulsifiable concentrate.

Both stabilizer products are marketed primarily for corn, sorghum, and wheat, and are advertised to increase yield, improve standibility, reduce risk of stalk rot, increase grain protein, and enhance crop drydown.

The maps below show trial locations for corn and wheat. The trial locations have been superimposed over the Technology Extrapolation Domains (TED) Framework. The TED Framework is described further on the Instinct® II, N-Serve® and TED Framework page.

While holding fertilizer rate and other management characteristics constant, nitrapyrin treatment increases average grain yield for both corn and wheat in North America. These yield benefits suggest that nitrapyrin increases nitrogen use efficiency, so that it may also be possible to use nitrapyrin and reduce fertilizer N rates while not negatively affecting yield. Such action could reduce environmentally harmful N losses and fertilizer costs.

In addition, studies have found some potential for N loss reduction with nitrapyrin even without changing fertilizer N rates. Since these results are limited to one region, it would be prudent to confirm whether such benefits also exist in other climatic and soil conditions.

Given its demonstrated ability to increase crop yield while simultaneously decreasing fertilizer N needs as well as damaging N losses to the air and water, nitrapyrin promises to be an important component of improved management practices.

To see if Instinct® II and N-Serve® trial locations are relevant to your operation, visit the Instinct® II, N-Serve® and TED Framework page.

To view the complete research report, including references, please visit the Instinct® II and N-Serve® Research Findings page.