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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Columbia, Missouri » Cropping Systems and Water Quality Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #356692
Title: Estimating nitrogen fertilizer rate using mineralizable- and soil nitrate-nitrogen

Author
item CLARK, J - South Dakota State University
item FERNANDEZ, F - University Of Minnesota
item Veum, Kristen
item CAMBERATO, J - Purdue University
item CARTER, P - Dupont Pioneer Hi-Bred
item FERGUSON, R - University Of Nebraska
item FRANZEN, D - North Dakota State University
item Kitchen, Newell
item LABOSKI, C.A. - University Of Wisconsin
item NAFZIGER, E - University Of Illinois
item SAWYER, J - Iowa State University
item SHANAHAN, J - Fortigen

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/4/2018
Publication Date: 11/4/2018
Citation: Clark, J., Fernandez, F.G., Veum, K.S., Camberato, J.J., Carter, P.R., Ferguson, R.B., Franzen, D.W., Kitchen, N.R., Laboski, C.M., Nafziger, E.D., Sawyer, J.E., Shanahan, J. 2018. Estimating nitrogen fertilizer rate using mineralizable- and soil nitrate-nitrogen [abstract]. ASA-CSSA Meeting, November 4-7, 2018, Baltimore, Maryland. Paper 111701.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Estimating nitrogen (N) availability from mineralization of soil organic matter with the anaerobic potentially mineralizable N (PMNan) test alone or in conjunction with soil nitrate-N tests may improve N management guidelines for corn. This may increase corn grain yield and economic returns while reducing the chance of over-applying N fertilizers and the associated environmental degradation that occurs with N loss. Forty-nine corn N response field studies across eight US Midwestern states were soil sampled for PMNan and nitrate-N before planting and again in-season from fertilized and unfertilized areas. These soil-N measurements were used alone and in combination other mineral soil N tests to predict corn N needs. Soil and weather conditions influenced the effect of soil sampling timing, N fertilizer addition, and laboratory incubation length on PMNan. Separating sites by texture or temperature, deeper soil nitrate-N sampling depth, and including initial NH4+ from PMNan analysis improved N management. However, these improvements were not large enough (R2 = 0.41) to reliably use soil-N and PMNan alone to predict N needs of corn.