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| Do tissue tests to look for missing nutrients. Do a late season stalk test to check for shortage of nitrogen. I think most Iowa farmers apply plenty nitrogen whether fall or spring, just that its possible to produce the same crop limited by other nutrients and soil factors with less nitrogen applied in two applications, one at planting and one later.
Then do strip tests adding the nutrients that the tests indicate a need. Sometimes those strip tests will show no effect as mine did year before last.
Around here, soil moisture is one of the limiting factors. Some days its too much, some days its too little. A wet spring leads to reduced roots that aren't good at adapting to a dry summer. A moderately dry spring leads to roots that are drowned by mid summer downpours. I think for yield it might be ideal to have both tiling for drainage and irrigation, but the cost of irrigation equipment sitting there unused in years that didn't need any would make it impractical to own on most farms.
For sure tons of strip tests of different hybrids are needed on your own soil. There are may that won't yield no matter how well fed, and there are a few that with the perfect conditions will yield a lot on a particular soil.
Gerald J. | |
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whats the next step in taking my corn yields
