Applying nitrogen to dryland crops is all about timing. And right now, volatilisation is your biggest thief. That’s when a urea granule converts and releases ammonia gas on its way to becoming ammonium. Warm, windy days on bare soil crank those losses right up - and the higher the rate, the bigger the hit. The goal is simple: get nitrogen into the soil before that conversion happens. Once it’s in the soil, gaseous losses stop and the N goes to work for your crop instead of disappearing into thin