5 Tips for Continuous Corn Nutrient Management
When it comes to nutrient management, continuous corn can present challenges, write Dan Kaiser, Extension nutrient management specialist, and Jeff Coulter, Extension corn agronomist, University of Minnesota Extension. Research has identified a few things that you should consider when managing continuous corn to maximize yield and profitability.
1. Residue management is key
Probably the biggest challenge when it comes to managing continuous corn is the amount of residue that can be left in the field. Corn residue can be slow to break down and tends to be high in carbon and low in nutrients, like nitrogen (N), which are needed for soil organisms to break the residue down. More N is suggested when corn follows corn compared to corn following soybean to account for less available N from the soil due to N being used for microbial decomposition. The application of N as UAN or sulfur (S) as ATS in the fall has been studied as a means of speeding up residue decomposition, but it has not been found to be effective.
2. Do not starve the crop early in the growing season
Nitrogen and sulfur are two critical nutrients that can be in short supply in continuous corn early in the growing season. A low rate of N and S should be applied at or before planting in situations where the bulk of the N is applied as a sidedress application. Research has shown that maximum yield can be achieved when 45 lbs N/acre is applied at or before planting, with the remaining N applied at V5 to V10 in wet years. Split-applying S is not needed. In most cases, as little as 10-15 lbs/acre of available S applied as a single application at planting can be enough to maximize yield in continuous corn regardless of the soil type or soil organic matter levels.
Read more at University of Minnesota Extension.
Subscribe Today For
