Tillage Effects on Corn Response to Starter Fertilizer
2003
Cromley, Steven M. | Wiebold, William J. | Scharf, Peter C.
Tillage selection has been identified as a factor that may influence corn response to starter fertilizer. The objective of this experiment was to determine if tillage practices affect corn growth and grain yield response to starter fertilizer. The experiment was conducted near Columbia, MO in 2000 and 2001. The experimental design included three hybrids, with and without tillage and with and without starter fertilizer (30 lb N/acre and 13 lb P/acre), placed 2 inches to the side and 2 inches below the seed. Tillage treatment by starter fertilizer interactions were not significant except for plant height measured eight weeks after planting in 2001. Tillage did not affect corn response to starter fertilizer. No-tillage plots were 5.7 and 3.5 inches taller at 6 weeks after planting than tilled plots in 2000 and 2001. At 8 weeks after planting no-tillage plots were 7.5 and 6.0 inches taller than tilled plots in 2000 and 2001. No-tillage plots reached silking 2.3 and 1.6 days earlier in 2000 and 2001 than tilled plots. Starter fertilizer also affected plant height and silking date, but to a lesser extent than tillage. The effects of starter fertilizer on plant height and crop development never translated into an effect on grain yield. We found no evidence that growers who use no-tillage are more likely to see yield responses from starter fertilizer than growers who use some other form of tillage.
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