Variability in Optimum Nitrogen Rates for Maize

Dhital, Sulochana; Raun, W. R.

doi:10.2134/agronj2016.03.0139

Cited by 75 publications

(70 citation statements)

References 69 publications

(85 reference statements)

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Over much of the maize-producing landscape in the United States, recent work has documented that optimum fertilizer N rates are highly variable and fluctuate from 1 yr to the next, at the same site (Dhital and Raun, 2016). Work by Huang et al (2016) further noted temporal variation in atmospheric N deposition, as an important N source in agro-ecosystems, and that has increased in China.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Can Yield Goals Be Predicted?

et al. 2017

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Predicting required fertilizer N rates before planting a crop embodies the concept of establishing a pre-season yield goal and fertilizing for that expected yield. The study evaluates prediction of yield goals using data from long-term experiments. Winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) grain yield data from the Magruder plots (Stillwater, OK, 1930-present), Exp. 222 (Stillwater, OK, 1969-present), and Exp. 502 (Lahoma, OK, 1970-present) were used. Annual pre-plant N rates were applied for 87, 45, and 44 yr, respectively. Experiments 222 and 502 used randomized complete block experimental designs. This manuscript applied the theory that average yields over the last 3 to 5 yr can be used to predict the ensuing years' yield, or yield goal. For the Magruder plots, the "NPK" (67-15-29, N-P-K) and Check (0-0-0) Treatments were used. For Exp. 222, Treatments 1 and 4 (0-30-37 and 135-30-37) and in Exp. 502, Treatments 2 and 7 (0-20-55 and 112-20-55) were selected to test this concept. Wheat grain yield averages for the prior 3, 4, and/or 5 yr were not correlated with ensuing season yields in all three long-term experiments. Over sites and years, yield goal estimates were off by up to 3.69 Mg ha -1 . Failure of the yield goal concept to predict current-year yields is due to the unpredictable influence of environment. Mid-season prediction of yield potential using active sensors is a viable alternative for improved in-season cereal fertilizer N recommendations.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Wide-ranging work by Dhital and Raun (2016), employing 213 site-years of maize data showed that optimum N rates fluctuated from year to year at all locations. They further reported the need to adjust fertilizer N rates by year and location in regions where historically, the same rates are being applied year after year.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Can Yield Goals Be Predicted?

et al. 2017

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Lucie A. Kablan,* Valérie Chabot, Alexandre Mailloux, Marie-Ève Bouchard, Daniel Fontaine, and Tom Bruulsema rates observed across corn experiments (213 site-years) in the United States suggests the need to adjust N rates by year and location (Dhital and Raun, 2016). Soil texture is another important factor that influences EONR.…”

Section: Variability In Corn Yield Response To Nitrogen Fertilizer Inmentioning

confidence: 99%

Variability in Corn Yield Response to Nitrogen Fertilizer in Eastern Canada

Kablan¹,

Chabot²,

Mailloux³

et al. 2017

Agronomy Journal

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Corn (Zea mays L.) yield response to N has been found to vary spatially within a field. The objective of this study was to examine how grain corn yield response to N varies with planting date, soil texture, and spring weather across sites and years in the Montérégie region. Trials were conducted from 2002 to 2004 and 2006 to 2010, at 11 sites with 23 hybrids and four N application rates, for a total of 45 site-years. Each site-year involved five or six N rates ranging from 80-90 to 240 kg N ha -1 . Grain yield response to N rates varied among site-years. Trials were separated into two groups based on optimal and late planting dates. Significant differences in grain yield among the applied N rates were observed in all of the site-years planted at optimal dates (from 8.8-14.7 Mg ha -1 ), and in most of those planted late (8.5-12.8 Mg ha -1 ). Economic optimum nitrogen rates (EONR) ranged less widely for site-years planted on optimal dates (180-237 kg N ha -1 ) than for those planted late (132-237 kg N ha -1 ). The EONR was affected by soil textural classes and rainfall. On coarse-textured soils, more N was needed to optimize grain yield in years with wet growing seasons. These results suggest that the current N recommendations for corn in Quebec should consider the variability in response associated with site-specific effects of planting date, soil texture, and weather.

show abstract

“…specific to corn in the United States are the field-to-field variability reported by Bundy and Andraski (1995), Schmitt and Randall (1994), and Lory and Scharf (2003), and year-to-year variability across fields reported by Dhital and Raun (2016). Equally important are reports documenting wide withinfield variability in EONRs Mamo et al, 2003;Scharf et al, 2005;Schmidt et al, 2007;Cao et al, 2012).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Strengths and Limitations of Nitrogen Rate Recommendations for Corn and Opportunities for Improvement

et al. 2018

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

A gronomy J our n al • Volume 110 , I ssue 1 • 2 018 1 T he goal of an N recommendation system is to accurately estimate the gap between the N provided by the soil and the N required by the plant. Accurately estimating this gap depends on the ability of the recommendation system to accurately estimate fi eld or subfi eld specifi c economically optimal nitrogen rates (EONR). Current recommendation systems are not as accurate as needed to provide consistently reliable estimates of N needs across years at the fi eld or subfi eld scale. Uncontrollable factors like temperature, rainfall timing, intensity and amount, and interactions of temperature and rainfall with factors such as N source, timing and placement, plant genetics, and soil characteristics combine to make N rate recommendations for an individual fi eld or rates for subfi elds a process guided as much by science as by the best professional judgement of farmers and farm advisors.Substantial evidence has accumulated that EONRs can vary widely across fi elds, within fi elds and over years in the same fi eld for a wide range of crops and geographies. Examples ABSTRACTNitrogen fi xation by the Haber-Bosch process has more than doubled the amount of fi xed N on Earth, signifi cantly infl uencing the global N cycle. Much of this fi xed N is made into N fertilizer that is used to produce nearly half of the world's food. Too much of the N fertilizer pollutes air and water when it is lost from agroecosystems through volatilization, denitrifi cation, leaching, and runoff . Most of the N fertilizer used in the United States is applied to corn (Zea mays L.), and the profi tability and environmental footprint of corn production is directly tied to N fertilizer applications. Accurately predicting the amount of N needed by corn, however, has proven to be challenging because of the eff ects of rainfall, temperature, and interactions with soil properties on the N cycle. For this reason, improving N recommendations is critical for profi table corn production and for reducing N losses to the environment. Th e objectives of this paper were to review current methods for estimating N needs of corn by: (i) reviewing fundamental background information about how N recommendations are created; (ii) evaluating the performance, strengths, and limitations of systems and tools used for making N fertilizer recommendations; (iii) discussing how adaptive management principles and methods can improve recommendations; and (iv) providing a framework for improving N fertilizer rate recommendations.

show abstract

Variability in Optimum Nitrogen Rates for Maize

Cited by 75 publications

References 69 publications

Can Yield Goals Be Predicted?

Can Yield Goals Be Predicted?

Variability in Corn Yield Response to Nitrogen Fertilizer in Eastern Canada

Strengths and Limitations of Nitrogen Rate Recommendations for Corn and Opportunities for Improvement

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About