Mike,

I would wholeheartedly agree with you IF the N was put down in the fall or spring AHEAD of planting.

However in a SIDEDRESS application, EVERY plant is still no more than 15" from the N whether it is applied on 30" or 60" centers.

I have seen the same thing you have around here in ILL when preplant NH3 is applied at an angle, the corn which happens to be over the fertilizer really greens up earlier and is taller.

Sometimes the other corn catches up later but especially in a dry year with roots going down rather than laterally some of the corn never does look as good a s the corn nearer the NH3. This is one of the reasons we are so enthusiastic about strip till. ALL the corn has fertilizer avaialable early and nearby.

I feel on heavy soils that you can put it all down in the strip in the spring but there is probably an advantage to side dressing part of it later if you are set up to do it. jmho.

Jim at Dawn