Project: 258-12

Title: Starter fertilizer nutrient component effects on corn yield.

Principle Investigator: Carrie Laboski, Dept. of Soil Science, UW-Madison.

Objective: To A) understand the individual and interactive effects on nutrient components in 2×2 placed fertilizer when corn is grown in a high yield environment with high soil test P and K levels, and B) understand the effects on nutrient components in pop-up (with seed) placed starter fertilizer when corn is grown in a high yield environment with high soil test P and K levels, and C) evaluate the efficacy of pop-up (with seed) fertilizer containing lower rates of nutrients to increase yield and decrease grain moisture compared to 2×2 places starter fertilizer, and D) evaluatre the effect of cultural practices to “bump” yield levels, and E) collect new data on plant nutrient concentrations at various growth stages to improve our plant analysis interpretation database to more adequately reflect current high yield corn hybrids.

Funding Level: $22,468

Duration: 3 years

Project: 259-12

Title: Using crop canopy sensors to assess manure nitrogen credits.

Principle Investigator: Carrie Laboski, Dept. of Soil Science, UW-Madison.

Objective: To A) assess the ability of corn canopy reflectance measurements made at several growth stages to more accurately estimate supplemental fertilizer N required when manure was applied in the early fall, late fall, and spring compared to current manure N crediting methods, and B) evaluate the crop canopy sensor-based corn N fertilizer rate model proposed by Holland and Schepers (2010) to estimate fertilizer N need when manure was applied in the early fall, late fall, and spring.

Funding Level: $19,394

Duration: 3 years

Project: 262-12

Title: Effects of long-term soil management on dynamic soil properties and response of corn to applied nitrogen.

Principle Investigator: Matt Ruark, Dept. of Soil Science, UW-Madison.

Objective: To A) determine differences in aggregate fractionation, POM, and potentially mineralizable N (PMN) resulting from long-term soil management, and B) determine the net effect of long-term management on response of corn to N.

Publications/Presentations

Diederich et al. Increasing labile soil carbon and nitrogen fractions require a change in system, rather than practice. Soil Science Society of America Journal. 83:1733-1745.

Cates and Ruark. 2017. Soil aggregate and particulate C and N under corn rotations: responses to management and correlations with yield. Plant & Soil

Cates et al. 2016. Long-term tillage, rotation, and perennialization effects on particulate and aggregate soil organic matter. Soil & Tillage Research. 155:371-380.

Funding Level: $18,967

Duration: 2 years