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| In 2007, I put down 100 pounds of MAP so 11 pounds of N spread before planting. I applied 60 pounds of N with 32% 2-1/4" off the row with the planter notill. I dribbled on 40 pounds of N with 32% every other row when the corn was four feet tall. My corn lower leaves were green all through August while the neighboring fields probably depending on fall applied NH3 without side dressing were firing. I did a late season stalk nitrogen test and there wasn't much, like 235 ppm where 1000 ppm is figured optimum. As my corn matured the stalks did get weak but I was able to get it out of the field at 15.5% before it fell over thanks to my custom combiner showing up right after I asked him to harvest.
I like the idea of reducing N by using more than two applications. I'm afraid that the cost of more applications won't save enough nitrogen to pay for the extra application passes, but that is an experiment to be tried. Most practical with fertigation that might be hard with gravity irrigation but practical for pivot irrigation. There isn't much pivot irrigation in this part of Iowa. And I was told the pivot near my house 20 miles from my farm hadn't been run in several decades until a BTO took over the land a couple years ago and has run it every year whether needed or not.
Gerald J. | |
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Planter speed vs yield observation
