1997 Annual Report for FNC97-166
Innovative Farmers Seeking Lowest Nitrogen Rates for Corn on Sandy Soils to Protect Ground Water
Summary
Contamination of groundwater and its relationship to farming practices, in additon to increasing costs, has caused farmers to re-examine application methods and rates of nitrogen fertilizer and livestock manure.
Objectives: To find the minimum nitrogen requirement for corn production on sandy loam soils by accounting for organic forms of nitrogen. Using standard plots on four farms with identical soil tests, starter fertilizer, varieties of seed corn and sidedress rates of 50, 90, 130 and 170 pounds per acre of nitrogen, farmers used field length, replicated strips to determine optimal application rates.
Results: Excellent growing conditions and timely rains caused higher application rates to look favorable. However, producers involved are looking at long-term averages with the feeling that .8 pounds of nitrogen per busher may be optimum.