A gronomy J our n al • Volume 101, I s sue 3 • 2 0 0 9 615 ABSTRACT Optimal N fertilizer rate for corn (Zea mays L.) and other crops can vary substantially within and among fi elds. Current N management practices do not address this variability. Nitrogen-stressed corn refl ects more visible light than N-suffi cient corn, possibly providing a basis for diagnosing optimal sidedress N rate in a growing crop. Our objective was to calibrate refl ectance measurements to predict economically optimal N rate (EONR) of corn in Missouri. We conducted eight fi eld experiments with N rate treatments in which refl ectance was measured at the V6 growth stage in plots that had received 0, 110, or ≥220 kg N ha −1 at planting. Refl ectance was measured in eight wavebands (510-830 nm) using a passive radiometer in three orientations (straight down, angled forward, and angled diagonally across rows). Refl ectance ratios (relative to refl ectance from high-N plots) were necessary to produce good relationships with EONR. We observed r 2 from 0.56 to 0.76 between relative refl ectance and EONR for all visible (510-710 nm) wavelengths in all measurement orientations except 610 diagonal. Th e highest r 2 values were observed for relative 510-, 560-, and 710-nm refl ectance in the straight down orientation. Th e straight down orientation is preferable for use in fi eld applications because it gave predictions as good as or better than the other orientations, while avoiding the complexities associated with angled orientations. Combinations of wavelengths did not have a stronger relationship with EONR than individual visible wavelengths, but all visible/NIR ratios gave r 2 ≥ 0.43 in all orientations, with many above 0.6. Calibrations such as those presented here could be used to convert refl ectance measurements to N rate recommendations during variable-rate sidedressing of corn.