C4—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, November 28,1981
‘Spoonfeed’ nitrogen for greater efficiency
MORRISTOWN. N.J. - Corn
growers can guard against heavy
nitrogen losses and reap a greater
return from their fertilizer in
vestment by making multiple, or
split, applications of this vital
nutrient, according to Don
Johnson, agronomist. Allied
Corporation.
“Most of the nitrogen used by a
corn plant is absorbed six to 12
weeks after planting,” he says.
“With today’s soaring interest
rates and high costs of crop
production, it just doesn’t make
sense to apply most of your
nitrogen several weeks or even
months ahead of the crop-uptake
period.”
Johnson is not against fall fer
tilization. But he does think corn
growers, as a general rule, should
apply no more than half of their
crop’s total nitrogen requirement
at that time.
The balance, he adds, should be
“spoonfed" to the crop during the
spring and summermonths.
“It’s never a good idea to put all
your eggs in one basket," Johnson
says. “To play it safe, farmers
should apply nitrogen several
times a year in smaller in
crements, rather than apply most
of it in one shot.
Grangers urge continuation
of farm programs
SPOKANE, Wash. “The most
important consideration in any
national farm program continues
to be the need for improving farm
pnces and income,” stated the
National Grange in its 115th annual
convention held here, Nov. 9-16.
Grange delegates from 37 states
said future farm programs must
accomplish the objectives of
furnishing adequate food and
fiber to the consumer at affordable
prices and provide a fair return to
producers for their labor, capital
and management.
The farm leaders are recom
mending the establishment of non
recourse loan levels and target
prices on all major farm com
modities to be adjusted annually to
equal production costs. Also
establishing adequate authority
for set-aside and land diversion
programs with payments for land
taken out of production at rates
“The result will be greater
nitrogen efficiency, higher yields,
less risk of nitrogen losses from
denitrification or leaching, and
perhaps most importantly
reduced nitrate pollution in well
water,” he adds.
The advantages of splitting
nitrogen applications have been
demonstrated at several univer
sities, perhaps most dramatically
at the University of Minnesota.
When 100 pounds N were applied
at planting, yield was 92 bushels
per acre, compared to 43 bushels
where no nitrogen was applied.
When 100 pounds N were divided
into four 211-pound doses and ap
plied at 30-day intervals, yield
jumped to 154 bushels per acre a
62-bushel increase.
In similar trials, fields receiving
a 200-pound rate of N in one shot at
planting produced 158 bushels per
acre only four bushels more
com than where 100 pounds N had
been applied in four 25-pound in
crements.
When the 200 pound rate was
split into eight 25-pound doses and
applied at 15-day intervals, yield
rose to 192 bushels per acre a 34-
bushel increase.
“Not every farmer has the time
or ability to make eight or even
sufficient to accomplish program
objectives.
They want to continue the
disaster assistance program until
the federal crop insurance
program has been evaluated and
found to be a suitable replacement
and that the prevented planting
program be continued. Also ex
pand and utilize authority for
government purchase of U.S.
produced beef and pork for use m
domestic and P.L. 480 programs.
The delegates also called for
updating crop planting history and
use of previous years harvested
acres as a basis for acreage ad
justments and discontinue the
normal crop acreage concept for
acreage adjustments.
They oppose allowing any
government agency to become the
sole negotiator in export sales of
U.S. produced grain and soybeans.
Nitrogen Uptake by Corn
The percentage of nitrogen absorbed, and the growth produced
each month during the four-month growing season.
First Month
Nitrogen (%) 2
Weight (%) I
More than half of the total nitrogen used by doesn't make sense to apply most of your
corn is absorbed three to four months after nitrogen fertilizer several weeks, or even
planting. With today’s soaring interest rates months, ahead of the crop-uptake period,
and rising costs of crop production, it just Johnson says.
four applications of nitrogen in
one season,” Johnson notes. “But
these data serve to make a point
about the benefits of ‘spoon
feeding’ nitrogen to a crop when it
needs it most.
“When farmers apply all of their
nitrogen at once, they’re severely
undercutting their yield poten
tial.”
While farmers growing com on
dryland cannot possibly use
nitrogen as efficiently as
irrigators, they can still make
three applications without having
to buy new equipment or make
drastic changes in their cultural
practices, Johnson says.
For example, if a com crop’s
total nitrogen requirement is 200
pounds per acre, Johnson suggests
applying 100 pounds in the fall,
with a nitrogen stabilizer. An
additional 60 pounds N can then be
Second Month
m m
applied in a tank mix with next
spring’s herbicide, and another 40
pounds N can be sidedressed when
com is in the eight-to 10-leaf stage.
(More nitrogen can be
sidedressed, if needed.)
“If a deficiency of another
nutrient is defected after the crop
is up, the farmer may then want to
knife in liquid,” Johnson
says. “If the crop is short on sulfur,
then a nitrogen-sulfur, solution
such as Suran (28-0-0-2 S) or am
monium thiosulfate (12-0-0-265)
could be used."
If fields are too wet to be
sidedressed or fertigated, an aerial
application of a -nitrogen
containing foliar spray could be
used in the interim to fill the
nitrogen gap, Johnson says.
Third Month
tm
p I
Foliar fertilizers such as.Polian
(12-4-4-.55), NZN (15-0-0-5 Zn),
NMG (14-0-04 Mg) and NFE (16-0-0-
4Fe) can supply the- crop with
enough nitrogen until fields can be
sidedressed or fertigated. ‘
These foliar sprays can be
“piggybacked” with most popular
insecticides, fungicides and
postemergence herbicides to save
a trip across the field. Johnson
urges farmers to consult their
farm supplier or do a jar test
before tank mixing any
agrichemicals.
A foliar fertilizer, he adds, can
supply only a small percentage of
the crop’s total fertilizer
requirement, and should not be
used as a substitute for good soil
fertility.
Fourth Month
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