Hoff, D. J.

Jones, J. Benton, Jr.

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RESEARCH CIRCULAR 106 JANUARY 1963 Rate and Fall versus Spring Application of Urea Nitrogen for Corn J. BENTON JONES, JR. D. J. HOFF 0 <> <> Ohio Agricultural Experiment Station Wooster, Ohio CONTENTS * Introduction •.................••.•••............•..•••..•.•.....•.• 3 Urea as a Fertilizer Material .••..........••..••.............•..•.••....• 3 General Procedure .....•....................•.......•.•.••...•..•.•.. 3 Comparison of Fall versus Spring Application of Urea for Corn . • . • . . • • • . . . . • . • • . . • . 3 Comparison of Rotes of Urea-Nitrogen Fertilization with and without Row Fertilizer •••.•.•• 4 Summary ..••..••.••.•••••.•••....•..•.........•....•...•....•.•••• 7 AGDEX~ 111 Rate and Fall versus Spring Application of Urea Nitrogen for Corn1 J. BENTON JONES, JR., AND D. J. HOFF 2 INTRODUCTION The need for nitrogen fertilization is increasing as more farmers devote ? larger percentage of their acreage to corn, and strive to increase production efficiency. Urea is a popular nitrogen fertilizer in Ohio and ranks high in tons of material sold as compared to other nitrogen fertilizer sources. Little data is available in Ohio with regard to the use of urea as a nitrogen fertilizer for corn. Objective of this study was to secure information regarding the effect of time and rate of application of urea upon corn yield. UREA AS A FERTILIZER MATERIAL Urea is a white crystalline material produced syn-thetically from ammonia (NH3) and carbon dioxide (C0 2) under high pressure. Urea's 45 percent nitrogen content and good physical condition has contributed to its acceptance as a nitrogen fertilizer. In Ohio, urea ranks third in sales for nitrogen containing fertilizers. Urea can be absorbed directly by the plant, however the conversion of urea to ammonium carbon ate (NH 4) 2 C0 3 is quite rapid and absorption of nitrogen by the plant from a urea fertilized soil probably occurs in the ammonium (NH 4) or nitrate (N0 3) form. Hy-drolysis of urea is temperature dependent, the rate of reac:tion decreasing with decreasing temperature. Applied when the soil temperature is less than 40° F ., urea is. slowly hydrolyzed to ammonium carbonate by the urease enzyme found in soil organic matter. Further nitrification to the nitrate form is almost completely prevented at the normally low winter soil temperatures. As urea is slowly hydrolyzed the ammonium ion is readily adsorbed onto the soil col-loids and is not easily removed by leaching. GENERAL PROCEDURE Yield data from comparisons of rate and time of application were obtained from approximately 150 experimental sites established during the four ye-ars, 1958 to 1961, by High School Vocational Agricultural teachers and students. About 200 students and their teachers were involved in establishing, maintaining 3 and harvesting these plots. Instructions and fertilizer materials 3 were supplied each cooperator. The majority of these demonstration plots were placed within established corn fields. Except for the ferti-lizer applied, the plots were managed similarly as the entire field. Soil samples and leaf tissue were col-lected by each cooperator for analysis, and the final yield checks were made by the cooperators. Sta-tistical and chemical analyses were made by the agronomy staff at the Ohio Agricultural Experiment Station, Wooster, Ohio. This report summarizes all yields obtained during the past four years from these demonstration plots. Each demonstration plot con-tained 4 to 6 individual plots SO feet long and 4 corn rows wide. The treatments were not replicated, each plot representing single treatments. Ear leaf samples were collected at the time of silk and yield checks were made using the two center rows in each plot. Sufficient length of row was harvested to obtain one-hundredth of an acre of yield sample. COMPARISON OF FALL VERSUS SPRING APPLICA,TION OF UREA FOR CORN 1. lntroducti on In common practice, broadcast applications of nitrogen for corn are made in the spring. In many areas of the state, early spring weather conditions may delay the essential preplantin g operations, resulting in late planting. Applying the needed nitrogen in the fall or winter when the ground is' in a suitable condition would assist the farmer in meeting a specific time schedule in the spring. However, nitrogen is not readily stored in soil. The common nitrogen carriers are either in the ammonium form (such as ammonium sulfate and anhydrous ammonia) or nitrate form (such as sodium or potassium nitrate) or both (such as ammonium nitrate). When applied in the fall, :nitrate is readily leached from the soil during the winter and early spring months. The 1Th' · · · 1s 1nvest19at1on was supported in part by a grant from American Cyanamid Company, Agricultural Division, Princeton, New Jersey, 2Assistant Professor and Associate Professor Ohio Agricultural Experiment Station, Wooster, Ohio. respectively, 3All lertilit.er materials were supplied by American Cyanamid Company. ammonium ion, on the other hand, is a cation and is adsorbed on the clay colloids and is not removed from the soil by leaching. With increasing soil tem-perature in the spring, ammonium is converted to nitrate by soil bacteria. The conversion of ammonium to nitrate can result in sizeable losses of nitrogen from the soil by leaching. In addition, runoff and erosion can remove from the soil sizeable quantities of nitrogen irrespective of form. Al I of the nitrogen in urea appears io the ammonium (NH 4 ) form. When urea is hydrolyzed to ammonium carbonate, it behaves like any ammonium-containing fertilizer. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect on yield of fall (about November 15th) and spring (about April 1st) applications of urea for corn. 2. Method llrea was broadcast at two rates, 40 and 80 lbs. of nitrogen per acre in the fall (about November 15, 1959) and spring (about April l, 1960). The plots were not replicated and one plot received no nitrogen either in the fail or spring. Thirteen demonstration plots were established by Vocational Agriculture teachers in some of the large corn producing areas in Ohio. Corn was planted by each cooperator, and except for the nitrogen variable, the cooperator used the same cultural ancl row fertilizer practices followed in the remaining portion of the corn field. Each demonstra-tion consisted of five 22' x 50' plots, each plot repre-senting one treatment. The two center corn rows from each plot were harvested for yield. The yield results are presented in Table 1. 3. Results For corn fol lowing grain (usually corn), both rates of nitrogen applied either in the fall or spring in-creased corn yield, but the largest increases were produced by the spring application. The yield responses noted in this experiment were similar to yield responses obtained with other fall applied ammonium-nitrogen fertilizer materials, indi-cating that urea is no better or no worse than these other materials when fall applied. Although, sta-tistically, the yields are not significantly different between fall and spring applied urea, the yield trend suggests that a portion of the fall applied nitrogen is not contributing to the yield and may have been leached away. Not all locations experienced the same reduction in yield indicating that not all of the applied urea nit1ogen was lost. In some instances, very little fall applied nitrogen was lost and all the nitrogen applied 4 TA3LE 1.-Comparison of Corn Yields for FalP and Spring 2 Applied Urea-Nitrogen at Two Rates. Vo-Ag Demonstration Plots 1959-1960 CORN FOLLOWING GRAIN Yield 3 Treatment lb. N/A bu/A No Nitrogen None 76-• Fall 40 85• Fall 80 94• Spring 40 93• Spring 80 97• L.S.D. (.05) 13 c.v. 13.73 CORN FOLLOWING LEGUME Yield4 Treatment lb. N/A bu/A No Nitrogen None 105• Fall 40 121• Fall 80 120• Spring 40 120• Spring 80 134• L.S.D. (.05) 16 L.S.D. (.01) 22 c.v. 11.23 1Urea was applied abaut Navember 15, 1959, 2Urea was applied about April 1, 1960. 3Mean of 7 yield determinations, 4Mean of 6 yield determinations. •Duncan multiple range test, Increase Over Check bu/A 9 i9 18 23 Increase Over Check bu/A 16 15 14 29 contributed to the yield obtained. This indicates that under certain soil and climatic conditions, very little fall applied nitrogen may be lost. Any condition which would slow nitrification and reduce leaching and erosion losses should prevent sizeable losses of fall applied nitrogen. However, losses usually occur and should be carefully considered when making fall nitrogen applications. COMPARISON OF RATES OF UREA-NITROGEN FERTILIZATION WITH AND WITHOUT ROW FERTILIZER 1. Introduction Many farmers are relying entirely upon application of row fertilizer to supply all of the nitrogen required by the corn. Usually the amount of nitrogen applied in the row seldom exceeds 20 to 40 pounds of nitrogen per acre, which is insufficient when corn follows a non-legume crop. Farmers are beginning to recognize that additional nitrogen is needed for optimum yields when corn follows a non-legume. The suitability of urea as a supplemental nitrogen fertilizer was deter-mined in the following series of field experiments. 2. Method and Results Urea was broadcast prior to plowing at two rates, 150 pounds of nitrogen per acre in 1958 and 100 pounds of nitrogen per acre in 1959 on a series of demonstration plots established by Vocational Agri-culture students and teachers. Each demonstration consisted of six plots, 22' x 50', each plot represent-ing an individual treatment. Thirty-nine demonstra· tions were set out in 1958 and 52 in 1959. In 1958, no row fertilizer was applied; all the phosphorus and potassium was broadcast and plowed down with the nitrogen. However, in 1959, row fertilizer was applied (since no broadcast application of P and K was made) which generally included some nitrogen (10 to 20 lbs. N per acre). The yield results are ~1ven in Table 2. The responses to the applied urea nitrogen indi-cate the need for supplemental nitrogen if best yields are to be obtained, particularly when the preceding crop is a non-legume. Also a very large nitrogen yield response was obtained for third year corn in the 1959 demonstrations. TABLE 3.-Average Corn Yield As Affected By Various Combinations of N, P, and K. Soil Fertility Demonstrations - 1958 2• Lb. N/ A Treatment 1 Applied ----- ---Mo Ferti Ii zer Applied 0 PK 0 NK 150 NP 150 NPK 150 L.S.D. (.OS} L.S.D. (.01) c.v. 26.53 165 lb. P/A and 124 lb. K/A, 239 locations. Yield bu/A 90 88 104 103 106 12 15 Yield Inc, Over Check bu/A -2 14 13 16 In 1958 (Table 3), a comparison between various combinations of applied fertilizers of nitrogen, phos-phorus, and potassium indicated that nitrogen was the element responsible for all yield increases. Ni-trogen with either phosphorus or potassium or phos-phorus and potassium gave significant increases over the check of phosphorus and potassium yield; the com-bination of all three nitrogen, phosphorus and potas-sium giving the best yield. In 1960 and 1961 comparisons were made between yield responses to supplemental nitrogen with and TABLE 2.-Yield Response of Corn to Supplemental Urea-Nitrogen, When Following Corn or Grain or When Following a Legume-Grass Meadow. Previous Crop 1958 Corn or Grain Legume-Grass Meadow l.S.D. (.05) 9 bu/A 1959 Corn or Grain Legume-Grass Meadow Second Year Corn Third Year Corn L.S.D. (.05) 8 bu/ A L.S.D. (.01) 11 bu/A 1150 lb. N/A 2100 lb, N/A Vo-Ag Demonstration Plots 1958-1959. Number of Locations 19 20 31 31 20 7 5 -N bu/A 85 98 76 87 72 55 +N bu/A 1151 111 1 Yi e!d Inc. with N bu/A 30 13 24 6 23 45 Treatment TA3LE 4.-Comparisons of Yields of Coin for Urea-Nitrogen Applied With and Without Row Fertilizer. Vo-Ag Demonstration Plots 1960. Supplemental Lb, NIA Raw Fertilizer Yield t bu/A Increase Over Check bu/A ---- ------------- - --------Check Nitrogen Row Only Nitrogen+ Row c. v. 16.33 None 80 None 80 +Mean of 14 yield determinations. None None R egu I er Farm Practice* Regular Farm Practice* •Average rote of fertilizer applied: 16 lb. N/A, 20 lb, P/A., 35 lb. KIA. L.S.D. (.05) L.S.D. ( .o 1) 68 76 83 98 10 13 8 15 31 TABLE 5.-Comparison of Yields for Rate of Urea-Nitrogen With and Without Row Fertilizer for Corn Following Grain and Legume. Vo-Ag Demonstration Plots 1961. Treatment Lb, N/A Applied Row Ferti Ii xer Applied ------------------·- ----- -Check Nitrogen Only Row Only Nitrogen Plus Row Nitrogen Plus Row Nitrogen Plus Row Check Nitrogen Plus Row Nitrogen Only Nitrogen P !us Row Row Only Nitrogen Plus Row c.v. 143 1Yield mean of 15 observotions. 2Yield meon of 19 observations. None 80 None 40 80 120 None 40 80 80 None 120 CORN AFTER GRAINl None None Regular Farm Practice* Regular Farm Practice* Regular Farm Practice* Regular Farm Practice* CORN AFTER LEGUME2 None Regular Farm Practice* None Regular Ferm Practice* Regular Farm Practice* Regular Ferm Practice* Treatment L.S.D. (.05) Treatment L.S.D. (.01) *Averoge rate of fertilizer applied: 19 lb. NIA, 25 lb. PIA, 29 lb. KIA. 6 Yield bu/A 74 82 84 86 94 99 94 98 100 102 103 108 6 8 Increase Over Check bu/A + 8 +10 +12 +20 +25 + 4 + 6 ts +9 +16 without row fertilizer, the row fertilizer supplying the needed phosphorus and potassium 4• In 1960, each demonstration consisted of four plots 22' x 50', each plot representing a single treatment. Eighty pounds of nitrogen per acre was applied to two of the plots. The amount and type of row fertilizer applied were according to the cooperators' normal practice. The yield results are given in Table 4 (1960). In 1961, each demonstration consisted of six plots 22' x 50', each plot representing a single treatment. Nitrogen as urea was applied at four rates (0, 40, 80, and 120 lbs. N per acre) with row fertilizer. One plot received row fertilizer only, another plot received nitrogen only and one plot was left unfertilized. In 1960 (Table 4), urea-nitrogen alone did not significantly increase yield over the check yield, mainly due to a lack of sufficient phosphorus and potassium. Row fertilizer alone increased the yield over the check yield 15 bushels per acre while the combination of both urea-nitrogen (80 lbs. N per acre) and row fertilization resulted in a 30 bushel yield increase over the check yield. Neither nitrogen alone nor the row fertilizer alone was providing sufficient fertilizer nutrients to obtain the best yield. Similar results we re obtained in 1961 (Table 5). Irrespective of the previous crop (grain or legume), both row fertilizer plus supplemental urea-nitrogen were needed to obtain the best yield. However, pre-vious crop did influence the degree' of the supple-mental urea-nitrogen yield response. Best yields were obtained at the highest rate of nitrogen fertili-zation. SUMMARY Urea, with its high nitrogen content (45 percent) and physical form, make it a suitable fertilizer material. In this report, yield responses were given (1) using urea in fall versus spring application comparisons and (2) using urea as a supplemental nitrogen fertilizer for com. Although urea was not compared with other nitrogen sources, the yield responses were such to indicate its value as a nitrogen fertilizer. In fall-spring application comparisons, a portion of the nitrogen applied is lost during the winter months when urea is fall (about November 15) applied for corn the following spring. The fall applied nitrogen is probably lost in several ways depending on the time of application, climatic conditions and extent of 4 The method of applying phosphorus and potassium is not to be ~onsidered a critical aspect of the data presented. Row appli ca-tion was used because it was a convenient method of application. 7 leaching. In some individual instances, no appreci-able quantities of nitrogen were lost when urea was fall applied. No appreciable loss is probably the exception rather than the rule. Except under unusual conditions a portion of the fall applied nitrogen will be lost from the soil. Urea behaves similarly to other ammonium-nitrogen fertilizer when fall applied. Corn, either in continuous rotation or following a non-legume crop, requires sizeable quantities of nitrogen for optimum yield. Results indicate that from 80 to 120 pounds of nitrogen per acre are required for best yields. Such quantities of nitrogen cannot be easily applied as row fertilizer and are generally broadcast prior to plowing or planting. Best responses were obtained when suitable quantities of phosphorus and potassium were also applied. Row application of a complete fertilizer plus supplemental urea-nitrogen gave the best yields over either row fertilizer alone or supplemental urea-nitrogen alone. Urea was found to be a suitable nitrogen fertilizer. Economic yield responses were obtained using urea as a supplemental nitrogen fertilizer. Although comparisons were not directly made with, other nitrogen fertilizers, the yield responses obtained with the use of urea were similar to yields obtained in other experiments using other common nitrogen sources. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The results recorded in this publication were mainly due to the excellent cooperation displayed by the individual high school Vocational Agriculture student and teacher. The authors wish tp express their appreciation to the students and teachers who made 1his report possible. REFERENCES Anonymous. 1960. Urea in Agriculture: An Annoted Bibliography American Cyanamid Company, Agri-cultural Division, Princeton, New Jersey. Hoff, D. J. and H. J. Mederski. 1958. Summary of Vo-Ag Fertility Demonstrations. Agronomy Mimeo. Ohio Agr. Expt. Station, Wooster, Ohio. Jones, J. B., Hoff, D. J. and H. J. Mederski. 1959. Summary of Results: Soil Ferti I ity Demon strati on Plots. Agronomy Mimeo. 155. Ohio Agr. Expt. Station, Wooster, Ohio. Mederski, H. J. 1961. Field Crop Fertilization. Agronomy Mimeo. Ohio Agr. Expt. Station, Wooster, Ohio. Triplett, G. B. and H. J. Mederski. 1961. Nitrogen Fertilization for Com. Agronomy Mimeo. Ohio Agr. Expt. Station, Wooster, Ohio. John Watkins, High School Vocational Agri-cu I tu re Teach er ond Bi 11 Roberts Checking Ear Size of Corn from Demonstration Plot. Prospect, Ohio. 1959. PLOT 3 NP Harvesting Demonstration Plot at Croton, Ohio. Center Willis Fravel, Vo-A9 Teacher with Two Students. 1959. High School Vocational A9ricultural Students Weighing Corn from Demonstration Plots. Hayesvi lie, Ohio. 1960. Checking Weight of Ears taken from a Demon-stration Plot at Croton, Ohio. 1959. 

Rate and fall versus spring application of urea nitrogen for corn

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Rate and fall versus spring application of urea nitrogen for corn

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