Relative Efficiency of Broadcast Versus Banded Phosphorus for Corn¹

Abstract

Experiments were conducted on Zanesville, Elliott, and Muscatine soils to determine the relative efficiency, with respect to corn yields, of broadcast P as compared to banded P. The 16 fertilizer treatments consisted of 4 rates of banded P and 4 rates of broadcast P in factorial combinations. Yields from each of the 3 soils were used to calculate a multiple regression equation for each soil. The equation is of a quadratic form, and it expresses the relation between yield and rates of banded and broadcast P. The regression equations account for 77 to 88% of the variation in yield. The largest yield increases from added P were 1287, 1474, and 873 pounds of corn per acre for the Zanesville, Elliott, and Muscatine soils, respectively. With all the P either banded or broadcast, the relative efficiency of broadcast P ranged from 0.49 to 1.23 for the 3 soils For a given soil, the relative efficiency of broadcast P varied with rate. At 35.2 pounds of P added per acre, higher yields were obtained on Zanesville and Elliott soils if a combination of banded and broadcast application were used than if all the P was added either banded or broadcast. Banding all the P gave higher yields than the other application methods if 17.6 and 8.8 pounds of P per acre were added. Yields from the Muscatine soil were not dependent on whether all the P was drilled, broadcast, or applied by a combination of both methods.

Níveis críticos de fósforo, para milho, em casa de vegetação, de acordo com a sua localização no solo

“…Segundo Welch et al (1966), para a obtenção de altas produções de milho, não basta uma simples aplicação de P no sulco de plantio, sendo necessária aplicação suplementar a lanço. Para que haja resposta do milho à adubação no sulco, deve haver uma disponibilidade pelo menos razoável no restante da camada arável (Novais et al, 1985;Klepker & Anghinoni, 1995;Alves et al, 1999).…”

Nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, and sulphur requirements for maize grain production

“…In the present trials, a yield of 14.0 t grain/ha was achieved on Makaraka heavy silt loam without addition of pre-plant or starter P. Yields were not adjusted for plant populations in the present trials. P maintenance programmes may be best directed towards policies based on the use of starter fertiliser, since maize yields are generally increased more per unit of P when P is banded rather than broadcast (Nelson 1956;Welch et al 1966), except where there is a very low P status (Yost et al 1979). It is important to use water-soluble P sources when fertilisers are applied as a band since both yield and P uptake increase with P water solubility (Web & Pesek 1958;1959) .…”

The fate of fertilizer nitrogen and phosphorus in field-sized watersheds

“…Fertilizer P applied to site 3 was not incorporated. Phosphorus has been found to be a relatively immobile nutrient (Welch et al, 1966), therefore the Large increases in concentrations of AVL-P early in the growing season at sites 1 and 2 were quite evident, and can probably be attributed to application of fertilizer P. The decreases were probably due to crop withdrawal. No trends can be established at site 3 due to the variability in the AVL-P concentrations (Table 7), possibly due to animal wastes.…”