Enhanced Efficiency Liquid Nitrogen Fertilizer Management for Corn Production

Abstract

Claypan soils have a high potential for N loss, which can lower corn (Zea mays L.) yields. Field research was conducted from 2011 to 2013 in Northeast Missouri to determine corn yield, plant population, and grain quality response to N application timings (fall vs. spring) and five N sources/placements at two different N rates (84 and 168 kg·N·ha−1) on a poorly drained claypan soil. The five N source/placement systems were no-till (NT)/surface broadcast urea ammonium nitrate (UAN) (Surface UAN) or strip-till (ST)/deep banded UAN (deep UAN), NT/surface broadcast UAN plus Nitamin Nfusion (surface NF) or ST/deep banded UAN plus Nitamin Nfusion (deep NF), and ST/deep banded anhydrous ammonia (AA) (deep AA). The field trial was a split-plot randomized complete block design with four replications. Deep UAN with a fall N application produced the highest grain yield (8.12 to 9.12 Mg·ha−1) at 84 and 168 kg·N·ha−1, but it was less effective with a spring application in 2011. Fall deep AA produced the lowest grain yields (5.97 and 6.8 Mg·ha−1) in 2013 at 84 and 168 kg·N·ha−1 potentially due to wet soil conditions at the time of application. Warmer and wetter soil conditions during April-May of 2013 resulted in relatively higher grain yields compared to cooler and drier soil conditions in 2011 with all spring-applied N source/placement treatments. Extreme drought in the 2012 growing season resulted in poor corn growth. Farmers may need to consider fall N applications on claypan soils because spring N application might be riskier since corn grain yield was generally greater than or equal to spring-applied treatments.

Implementation and Use of Green Manures for Weed Suppression in Sequential Maize Cropping

“…Te following parameters were measured in relation to the maize plants. Plant height (cm): a tape measure was used to measure the height of the plant between its base and the collar of the highest leaf; 10 plants were selected for measurement from the plot of each experimental unit at 60 DAS [31]. Stem diameter (mm) was determined using a Vernier caliper, using the frst internode in base-apex direction at 60 DAS.…”

Split application of liquid urea as a tool to nitrogen loss minimization and NUE improvement of corn - A review

“…fertilizers minimizes losses. In addition, the use of UAN or LU, subsurface urea application, mechanical application, and splits application of urea effectively increase the NUE of crops (Holloway et al, 2001;Lü et al, 2012;Singh et al, 2013;Steusloff et al, 2019).…”

“…In addition, both LU recorded about 70% uptake efficiency of ammonium nitrate (Vaio, 2006). Besides, surface and deep placement of liquid N (e.g., UAN) significantly minimized the leaching loss of N in corn cultivation in poorly drained claypan soils (Steusloff et al, 2019). The LU application also reduced the gaseous loss from applied urea (Motasim et al, 2021a).…”