Corn response to fertilization and SR, DRIS, and PASS interpretation of leaf and grain analysis

Sufficiency Range system (SR), Diagnosis and Recommendation Integrated System (DRIS), and Plant Analysis with Standardized Scores (PASS) are approaches for interpreting plant tissue analyses. Changes in land-use of the Rolling Pampa (Argentina) has promoted soil deterioration and affected nutrient availability. This hypothesis is that deteriorated soils can reach potential grain corn yields of pristine soils using balanced fertilization. The objectives were to evaluate three criterions of interpretation for plant analysis in leaf and grain corn (Zea mays L.), the nutrient removal, and the response to fertilizer according to a nutrient balance approach and the level of soil deterioration. Field experiments were conducted in pristine site (P(s)) and soils with short (S(s)) and long (L(s)) land-use history. There were two fertilization treatments: (1) enough to increase the nutrient availability of S(s) and L(s) to reach P(s) soil (F1) and (2) balanced fertilization to reach present maximum potential corn yield in farms of the area (13,000 kg ha(-1)) (F2) and a control without fertilization (F0). Treatment 2 was applied on L(s) soil allowed to reach P(s) corn yields, in accordance to the hypothesis of this study. From the SR system, leaf concentration nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), sulfur (S), and some micronutrients such as zinc (Zn) and copper (Cu) were considered deficient nutrients. The DRIS analysis diagnosed S as the most-limiting nutrient. PASS identified S, N, and P as deficient or moderately deficient and potassium (K), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), and boron (B) were categorized as balanced. Levels of fertilization compensated for N deficiencies, but could not compensate for S deficiencies. Corn yields were more associated with PASS yield index than DRIS balance index.