Broadcasting nitrogen before planting is an inefficient means of getting fertility to the plant. We only plant a row every few feet, so why spread fertilizer evenly across the entire field? A more efficient way to place fertilizer is to band the fertilizer in the row, just like we place the seeds. Banded nutrients can reduce the total amount of needed fertility by up to 30% while maintaining the same yield level. These banded nutrients should also be placed under the soil surface where they will stay in the soil, instead of being prone to volatilization when spread on top of the soil surface.
