Dow AgroSciences Recognizes Ag Retailers’ Role in Protecting Iowa Water Quality
April 6, 2017 
The agriculture community of Iowa continues to implement sustainable farming solutions to protect water quality.
The state of Iowa and its agriculture community have worked for decades to preserve soil health, protect water quality and build sustainable solutions to preserve some of the most productive and fertile farmland in the world.
To give credit where credit is due, Dow AgroSciences launched the Stabilizers Stars program in 2016 as part of a larger initiative to help protect Iowa water.
The program recognizes ag retailers across Iowa who broadened the use of Instinct and N-Serve nitrogen stabilizers to protect more farm acres and improve Iowa waterways. The active ingredient in Instinct and N-Serve is proven to increase soil nitrogen retention by 28% and decrease nitrate leaching by 16%, while increasing yield 7% on average.
These Stabilizer Stars either achieved a high percentage of acres protected with Instinct or N-Serve or had a 25% increase in stabilized acres for the 2016 season. Retailers were recognized during back-to-back events in January in Des Moines and Cedar Rapids. The program will continue for the 2017 season.
“Iowa is at the forefront of implementing and promoting practices to protect local watersheds through in-field nitrogen reduction practices, but much of that isn’t possible without the help of our ag retail partners, and we wanted to recognize those efforts,” says Kent Bennis, market development specialist in Iowa, Dow AgroSciences.
Iowa was the first state to engage both point source (municipal wastewater treatment plants and industries) and nonpoint sources (farmers) to develop the Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy, a comprehensive, voluntary program. At the core of the strategy is a scientific, practice-based approach designated to achieve measurable progress toward the goal of reducing lost nitrogen by 45%.
Using a nitrogen inhibitor is among the in-field practices that the Nutrient Reduction Strategy recommends. The program also offers farmers who try N-Serve with their fall application of anhydrous ammonia a $3-per-acre rebate, up to 160 acres, for first-time use of the product.
“Including nitrification inhibitors as one of the recommended in-field nitrogen-loss-reduction practices underscores the sound science and positive results from in-field trials conducted with N-Serve and Instinct,” says Eric Scherder, Ph.D., field scientist, Dow AgroSciences from Huxley, Iowa. “Through the Stabilizer Stars program, we can recognize those partners committed to using products proven to prevent nitrate loss into groundwater, which both Instinct and N-Serve have been proven to do for more than 40 years.”
N-Serve is available for use in spring and fall anhydrous ammonia applications, and Instinct works with UAN, urea and liquid manure.
For more information on solutions to help farmers be both profitable and sustainable, visit MaximizeNitrogen.com or contact your local Dow AgroSciences sales rep.
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