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ApplyingFertilizerstoCorn
Cornrecommendationsforphosphorus,potassiumandnitrogen.Details
providedonreducingnitrogenlossesfromvolatilization,leachingand
denitrification.

BasicFertilityManagement
Lime,phosphate(P2O5),potash(K2O),andmagnesium(Mg)requirementsarebestdeterminedby
soiltesting.Soiltestrecommendationstakeintoaccounttheyieldgoalorthecropyieldpotentialfor
thesoiltype,thefertilitylevelofthespecificsoil,andprojectedcropnutrientremoval.Nitrogen(N)
fertilizerrecommendationsarebasedontheyieldpotentialofthecropandthecontributionof
previouslegumecrops.Onmanuredfields,sidedressnitrogenrequirementsalsocanbeestimated
usingthepresidedressnitrogensoiltest.Foramoredetaileddiscussionofbasicsoilfertility
management,seeSoilFertilityManagement.

Potash(K2O)
Potashcanbeappliedbroadcastorwithrowfertilizer.Totalpotashplusnitrogenshouldnotexceed
6070poundsperacrewhenapplied2inchesfromtheseedintherowfertilizer.Potashcanbe
broadcastonthesurfaceinnotillsystems.Incorporationbyplowingdownandsecondarytillage
arethepreferredmethodsundertilledsystems.

Phosphate(P2O5)
Phosphatecanbeappliedwiththepotashorasrowfertilizer.Applypotashandphosphateanytime
inthefallorspring,butavoidbroadcastingonfrozenground.Theefficiencyofphosphateuptakeis
improvedgreatlybybandapplications..
Thetermstarterfertilizerreferstoapractice,notamaterial.Starterfertilizerisplacedstrategically
nearseedsothatitisreadilyavailable.Thispracticeimprovesearlyseedlinggrowthduringcool
growingconditionsandcanhelpproduceearliermaturingandhigheryieldingcrops.Cool,wetsoils
(evenhighfertilitysoils)reducerootgrowthandmobilityofnutrients,especiallyphosphorus,thus
limitingtheavailabilityofsoilnutrientstotheseedlingplantwithitsverysmallroot
system.

Nitrogen(N)
Aneffectivenitrogenmanagementstrategyisonethatminimizesthepotentialfornitrogenlosses
occurringfrom
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1. volatilizationofurea
2. leachingofsoilnitrate,or
3. denitrification(theconversionofnitratetoN2gasinthesoil).
Volatilizationcanbeminimizedbyincorporatingfertilizersthatcontainureaorbydribblingliquid
nitrogensolutions(UAN).
Leachinganddenitrificationlossescanbeminimizedbydelayingnitrogenapplicationuntilcornis
10to16inchestall(sidedressing).Thisisespeciallycriticalonsoilswithahighpotentialfor
leachingordenitrification.Onthesesoils,responsestosidedressingarerelativelyconsistent.
Leachingismostseriousonwelldrained,sandy,andgravellysoils,butitalsocanoccuronwell
draineduplandlimestoneandshalesoils.Denitrificationismostseriousonsoilsratedassomewhat
poorlydrainedorpoorlydrained,butitalsocanoccuronanysoilthatissaturatedwithwater.
Allofthecommerciallyavailablenitrogensourcesgiveadequateperformance,providedthe
propertiesofthematerialaretakenintoconsiderationatapplication.Belowisalistingofcommonly
appliednitrogensourcesforcorn:
Incorporate(knifein)anhydrousammonia6to8inchesdeep.Soilshouldbemoist.
Sidedressingcornat10to16inchestallandatplantingarethepreferredtimesofapplication.
Fallapplicationsarenotrecommended.
Incorporateureawithin24to36hourstoavoidnitrogenlossfromvolatilization.Mechanical
incorporationbyplowingdown,diskingin,cultivatinginasasidedress,andtimingthe
applicationjustbeforearainfallallareeffectivemethods.Onehalfinchofrainissufficient.
Broadcastingureaoncornplantscausessomeleafinjury,andalthoughthisisnota
widespreadpractice,ithasbeenusedbysomefarmersandinresearchtrialswithsatisfactory
results.Sidedressingthatisincorporatedispreferredovertopdressing.
UANsolutionsareapproximatelyonehalfurea.Therefore,observetheaboveapplication
methodsforurea,butdonotapplyUANasatopdress,becausesuchapplicationwouldcause
severeleafinjury.Sidedressing50to90percentofnitrogenrequirementsusingUANand
dribbletubesispreferreditincreasesnitrogenefficiencyoverbroadcastsprayingsolution
nitrogen.Thisisespeciallyimportantinnotillormulchcoveredfields.Incorporatingor
knifingintheUANimprovesefficiencyslightlyoverdribbleapplications.
Ammoniumnitrate,ammoniumsulfate,andtheammoniatedphosphatescanbesurface
appliedwithoutsignificantvolatilizationlosses.
Theefficiencyofrecoveringappliednitrogenisimprovedbysidedressing.Thispracticeappliesthe
nitrogennearesttothetimewhenthecorncropsneedfornitrogenisapproachingitspeakduring
rapidvegetationgrowth.Sidedressingalsoshortensthetimeduringwhichthenitrogenissubjectto
possiblefieldlossesfromleachingordenitrification.Figure:"Effectofdelayednitrogenapplication
onnitrogenvulnerability"illustrateshowdelayednitrogenapplicationreducesnitrogen
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vulnerability.Cornyieldsdonotalwaysrespondtodelayedapplications,butundersomeconditions
forexample,awetyearyielddifferencescanbesizeable,asTable:"Effectsofmethodandtime
ofnitrogenapplication(PennState)".illustrates.In23PennStatestudiesconductedfrom1982to
1995,theyieldresponsetodelayingatleasthalfoftheNuntilsidedressingaveraged5bushelsper
acre.

TheEffectofdelayednitrogenapplicationonnitrogen
vulnerability

Reference:Figure1.42,TheAgronomyGuide

Fiftytoninetypercentofthenitrogenrequirementcanbeappliedatsidedressing.Infieldsthat
receiveperiodicmanureapplicationsandwherelegumesaregrowninarelativelyshortrotation,
applyingallbutthestarternitrogenasasidedressisthebestapproach.Incontinuouscornwhere
manureisnotapplied,applyingmorenitrogenthanjusttheusualstarteramountatplantingtime
maybeadvantageous.ThisusuallyisdonebyusingUANasacarrierfortheherbicide.Remember
thatsprayingUANonthesoilsurfacecanresultinsignificantnitrogenloss.Additionalnitrogencan
beappliedsafelyinthestarterfertilizer,aslongasthenitrogensourceisnoturea,andaslongas
therateandanalysisofthestarterfertilizeraresuchthatthetotalamountofnitrogenpluspotashis
keptbelow60to70poundsperacre.

Effectsofmethodandtimeofnitrogenapplication(Penn
State).
Time

Method

bu/A

Atplanting

Surface

135

Atplanting

Incorporated

141

Sidedress

Surface

148

Sidedress

Incorporated

152

Note:Sidedressingnitrogenwhencornis10to20inchestallisapracticalwaytosignificantlyimprovethe
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efficiencyofnitrogenfertilizeruse.

Reference:Table1.45,TheAgronomyGuide

Asnotedinthediscussionofnitrogenmaterials,thesedelayedapplicationscanbedoneina
numberofways.ThebestwayprobablyistodribbleUANsolutionbetweentherowsofcornusing
asprayerequippedwithdroptubes.Anhydrousammoniaalsoisaneffectivesidedressmaterial,
providingthatsoilconditionsaresufficienttoentrapthegaseousammoniainthesoil.Urea,too,
canbeusedasatopdressingmaterial,butitmayresultinsignificantnitrogenlossandsomeleaf
damage.

NitrogenandSoilpH
Applicationsofnitrogenincreasesoilacidity(lowerthepH).Asageneralrule,foreachpoundof
nitrogenappliedasammoniumsulfate,6poundsoflimestonearerequired3poundsoflimestone
arerequiredforeachpoundofothernitrogensources,includingmanurenitrogen.

NitrateToxicity
Undernormalgrowingconditions,fertilizersappliedatrecommendedratesdonotcreatenitrate
nutritionalproblemsinlivestock.Excessiveaccumulationofnitrateinthecornplantmaybecaused
byanyfactorthatproducesplantstress,suchasprolongeddroughtanddefoliationoftheplantby
disease,insects,orhail.
Ingeneral,thegreatestriskofhighnitratelevelshasbeenindroughtstuntedfieldsthathave
receivedexcessivemanureornitrogenfertilizer.Theriskofhighnitratelevelsishighestimmediately
followingadroughtendingrain.Nitratesaccumulateinthelowerportionoftheplant,soharvesting
higherundertheseconditionscanhelpyouavoidhighnitrateconcentrations.Normally,theensiling
processremovesaboutonehalfthenitratespresentinthefreshcornsilage.Ifyoususpectunsafe
levelsofnitratesincornsilage,havethesilagetestedatareputableforagetestinglab.

2015CollegeofAgriculturalSciences[http://agsci.psu.edu]

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