Corn is one of the major crops grown for livestock feed in western South Dakota. This crop is grown both on irrigated and nonirrigated land. It is used as silage, harvested for grain, and fed as fodder. Because of its importance, corn was one of the crops that received special attention when an off-station research program was started on the Belle Fourche Irrigation Project by the Newell Field Station in 1950. Objectives under consideration were to study the value of nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizer and the effect of plant population on the production of silage and grain corn. The trials conducted and their locations are shown in table 1. Results obtained in the field trials conducted on irrigated land from 1950 through 1954 are discussed in this publication. The principles of proper corn culture are of economic value to farmers on the Belle Fourche Irrigation Project and to neighboring irrigated areas

Baird, B. L.

Bonnemann, J. J.

English

Public Research Access Institutional Repository and Information Exchange

South Dakota State UniversityOpen PRAIRIE: Open Public Research Access InstitutionalRepository and Information ExchangeAgricultural Experiment Station Circulars SDSU Agricultural Experiment Station2-1956Fertilization and Spacing of Irrigated Corn on theBelle Fourche Irrigation ProjectB. L. BairdSouth Dakota State UniversityJ. J. BonnemannSouth Dakota State UniversityFollow this and additional works at: http://openprairie.sdstate.edu/agexperimentsta_circThis Circular is brought to you for free and open access by the SDSU Agricultural Experiment Station at Open PRAIRIE: Open Public Research AccessInstitutional Repository and Information Exchange. It has been accepted for inclusion in Agricultural Experiment Station Circulars by an authorizedadministrator of Open PRAIRIE: Open Public Research Access Institutional Repository and Information Exchange. For more information, pleasecontact michael.biondo@sdstate.edu.Recommended CitationBaird, B. L. and Bonnemann, J. J., "Fertilization and Spacing of Irrigated Corn on the Belle Fourche Irrigation Project" (1956).Agricultural Experiment Station Circulars. Paper 117.http://openprairie.sdstate.edu/agexperimentsta_circ/117CIRCULAR 120 FEBRUARY 1956 FILE Copy !'lion and spacing al irrigated corn Unfertilized field, left, adjoining plot ferti­lized with 120 pounds of available nitrogen AGRONOMY DEPARTMrnT AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION South Dokcto State College, Brookings, in cooperation with SOIL ANO WATER CONSERVATION RESEARCH BRANCH, ARS United Sti,tes Deportment of Agriculture fertilization and of irrigated • spacing corn on the Belle Fourche Irrigation Project BRUCE L. BAIRD and JosEPH J. BoNNEMANN1 Corn is one of the major crops grown for livestock feed in western South Dakota. This crop is grown both on irrigated and nonirrigated land. It is used as silage, harvested for grain, and fed as fodder. Because of its importance, corn was one of the crops that received special attention when an off-station research program was started on the Belle Fourche Irrigation Project by the Newell Field Station in 1950. Objectives under consideration were to study the value of nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizer and the effect of plant population on the production of silage and grain corn. The trials conducted and their loca­tions are shown in table 1. Results obtained in the field trials conducted on irrigated land from 1950 through 1954 are discussed in this publication. The principles of proper corn culture are of economic value to farmers on the Belle Fourche Irrigation Project and to neighboring irrigated areas. Conducting the Trials The trials were conducted in co­operation with farmers of the area. The cooperating farmer performed all operations essential to the pro­duction of the crop except planting, fertilizing, and harvesting. These operations were performed by per­sonnel from the Newell Field Sta­tion. The treatments, consisting of various rates of nitrogen and phos­phorus fertilizers and various plant populations, were placed on plots 4 corn rows wide and 50 feet long. Fertilizer was applied as a band be­side the row soon after the corn emerged. The plant population desired was obtained by planting the corn thick and then thinning after emergence. The two middle rows of each 4-row 1Former Soil Scientist and Agent (Agronomist), respectively, Western Soil and ·water lVIanagement Section, Soil and \,Vater Conservation Research Branch, ARS, USDA, Newell Irrigation and Dry Land Field Station, Newell, South Dakota. Mr. Bonnemann is also Assistant Agronomist at South Dakota State College Experiment Station. This publication is a result of the work of the Soil and ·water Conservation Research Branch, Agricultural Research Service, USDA, in cooperation with the South Dakota State College Agricultural Experiment Station. 2 Fertilizatio11 a11d Spacing of Irrigated Cor11 3 plot were harvested for the deter­mination of yield. The treatments were repeated three to five times at each location. Thus the results and discussion are based on treat­ments repeated many times in corn fields. Each of the trials will not be dis­cussed in detail in this publication. The principles involved are con­sidered of greatest importance, and a summmy of some of the results is given in the figures. Examples will be used from these data to help ex­plain some of the principles. Nitrogen Fertilizer vVhen a corn plant is not obtain­ing sufficient nitrogen, it develops a characteristic yellow color. The yellow color first appears on the leaf tips of the older leaves and follows the midrib inward toward the plant stalk. As the deficiency becomes more severe the leaves higher on the plant and more of the leaf area turn light green or yellow. This develops at any stage of growth, but it is usually most appar-ent soon after silking. The yellow area of the leaf turns brown and dies if the deficiency is severe. It is not difficult to distinguish between the leaves that die because of nitro­gen deficiency and those that die from drought. When drought oc­curs the leaves curl and dry but usually retain their green color for a brief time. The healthiest plants are those that remain green until damaged by frost. There is no advantage in let­ting the plant turn yellow late in the season. The yellow coloration is a visible symptom, but it is usually accom­panied by corresponding effects on the yield and protein content of the corn. In the trials conducted, the yield and protein content of the grain were increased by the appli­cation of nitrogen fertilizer at ap­proximately two-thirds of all the locations. On those fields where nitrogen was needed, 50 to 60 pounds of ap­plied nitrogen per acre was usually sufficient, and only occasionally Table 1. The Location and Type of Trials Conducted on the Belle Fourche Irrigation Project ========================= NO. YEAR COOPERATOR LOCATfON SOIL TYPE TYPE OF TRIAL 1 1950 E. Gutsche Nisland Vale sandy loam Fert. x plant pop.* 2 1950 Exp. Station Newell Pierre clay Ferr. x plant pop. 3 1951 F. Kiel Nisland Clay loam Fertility 4 1951 G. Cox Vale Vale sandy loam Fertility 5 1951 A. Scheeler Vale Vale sandy loam Fertility 6 1952 L. C. Williamson Vale Vale sandy loam Ferr. x plant pop. 7 1952 J. Bentz Nisland Clay loam Fert. x plant pop. 8 1953 G. Kimball Horsecreek Pierre clay loam Fert. x plant pop. 9 1954 G. Herman Nisland Sandy loam Fert. x plant pop. 10 1954 D. Tucker Nisland Vale sandy loam Ferr. x plant pop. 11 1954 K. Anderson Newell Pierre clay loam Plant population *Combination trial on fertility level an<l plant population. 4 So11tb Dakota Experiment Station Circular 120 was it profitable to apply as much Nitrogen not used by one crop as 100 pounds per acre. The term will in part be available for the "pounds of nitrogen per acre" refers next. to pounds of nitrogen and not to It is possible to leach out the pounds of fertilizer. Nitrogen con- nitrogen on the sandier soils if ex­tent of commercial fertilizer used cessive water is applied. But resid­in the area will vary from 20 per- ual effects of nitrogen often have cent for ammonium sulfate to 82 been observed one and two years percent for anhydrous ammonia. after application on these soils. The magnitude of response to Evidently the leaching away of nitrogen as well as the average yield nitrogen is not a serious problem, for all treatments varied consider- and residual nitrogen will remain in ably benveen the trials at the vari- the soil for the next crop that is ous locations. The wide variation is grown. apparent if the lines representing the yields in figure 1 are compared. The variable plant response to fertilizer nitrogen may be attribu­ted to differences in soil texture, as modified by slope. Trials that were located on the heavier clay soils, trials 2, 3, and 8, were low yielding in comparison to trials on the sandier soils. Phosphorus Fertilizer The phosphorus requirements and response of the corn plant was not as marked as with nitrogen. Ap­plications of phosphorus increased the yields in about one-third of the Figure 1. Effect of nitrogen on the yield of corn ( average of all plant popula­tions). Figures at ends of lines refer to trial numbers listed in table I. Trial 6 ( figure 1 ) represents a typical situation where a response b d h ..-BUSHELS PER ACRE to nitrogen was o taine . T e ,oo�--r- -.---------. --,--yields of corn receiving 0, 60, and 120 pounds of nitrogen per acre were 54, 67, and 69 bushels per acre, respectively. Note that the re­sponse was much larger for the first 60 pounds of nitrogen than for the second 60 pounds applied. In the same trial, the protein in the grain was 6.5, 7.8, and 8.6 per­cent, respectively, for the 0-, 60-, and 120-pound rates of nitrogen. When the leaves of corn turn pre­maturely yellow, there is usually a deficiency of nitrogen in the soil. To correct the deficiency immediately, apply more nitrogen fertilizer or, on a long-term basis, plow under more green manure in the rotation. 9Qf------t--2 O 40 80 120 160 200 POUNDS Of NITROGEN APPLIED PER ACRE Fertilization and Spacing of Irrigated Corn 5 trials. Yield increases from 3 to 10 bushels were obtained through the use of phosphorus. Corn does not require as much phosphorus and does not respond to applications of phosphorus to the extent that it does to nitrogen. It is apparent that there were some increases in yield as a result of ap­plications of phosphate in about one-third of the trials. Where there was an increase in yield attributed to applications of phosphate, the increase was usually much smaller than the increase due to nitrogen. It seems advisable to maintain a good phosphorus level in the soil by placing the phosphate ferti­lizer on other crops in the rotation, such as alfalfa and sugar beets, rather than to make applications to the corn crop. Nitrogen is by far the most important fertilizer ele­ment that needs to be supplied when producing corn. Plant Population In all the trials, the yield of grain produced w a s consistently in­creased as the plant population was increased to a limit of approximate­ly 20,000 plants per acre. Note that there is a uniform upward slope to the lines in figure 2. There is also a tendency for them to level to a hori­zontal position at 20,000 to 22,000 plants per acre. It has already been pointed out that the response to nitrogen was quite variable; but in contrast there is consistently an in­crease in the yield with increased plant population to 20,000 plants per acre. As the plant population is in­creased above 12,000 or 14,000 ......--BUSHELS PER ACRE ,oo�������������  90 801---+-�l---+-----t�-t---+�-t--t---+ 70 60 50>----+---,I---+--+�+---+-�+--+---+-40 12 16 20 24 28 THOUSAND PLANTS PER ACRE Figure 2. Effect of plant population on the yield of corn (average of all fertility levels). Figures at end of lines refer to trial numbers listed in table 1. plants per acre, the size of the ear usually decreases. Too often the practice of using high plant popu­lations is condemned because of the smaller ears. It must be realized that the increase in the number of ears will more than make up for the decrease in size. There is no apparent reason why fewer than 14,000 plants per acre ( a foot apart in 38-inch rows) should ever be planted on irrigated land. If the fertility level of the soil and cultural practices are good, a plant population of 20,000 plants per acre would be preferred. For the production of silage 20,000 plants or more per acre are not too many (see figure 3). 6 Sotttb Dakota Experime11t Statio11 Circular 120 How much seed must be planted to give the desired plant popula­tion? There are approximately 1,600 kernels of corn per pound of me­dium Hat seed. To obtain 18,000 seeds per acre it will be necessary to plant 11 to 12 pounds of seed. If a row width of 38 inches is being used, set the planter so a seed is dropped about every 9 inches. This will be 18,330 seeds per acre. For narrower rows the seeds are farther apart, and for wider rows they are closer together. Allo"vance must also be made for poor germi­nation, poor soil conditions, and for seed eaten by pheasants and ro­dents. Relationship of Plant Population to Fertilizer The - discussion so far has been concerned with spacing or fe1tilizer as independent factors. Although it is more complicated to consider the Yields of corn at populations of 12,000 and 20,000 plants to the acre. No ferti­lizer was added to the plots represented by the two wire baskets on the left; 120 pounds of available nitrogen to the acre was supplied to those on the right. two factors together, it is necessary to consider their effects on each other if the best use is to be made of the principles involved. As the number of plants growing on an acre of land increases, it is obvious that the amount of nitrogen those plants will need to grow properly will increase. There is also a limit to the number of plants that can be grown on an acre even though there is ample nitrogen in the soil. Applying adequate amounts of commercial fertilizer will, to a cer­tain extent, compensate for a poor stand of corn. Likewise, a proper stand will at times partially com­pensate for the lack of fertility as far as yield is concerned. These principles can be demonstrated by using the results of one of the trials. In trial 8 in 1953 and trial 9 in 1954, the yield and protein content of both the silage and grain were determined for various plant popu­lations and fertilizer levels. At both locations a definite response was obtained to applications of nitro­gen. Trial 9 will be used as an ex­ample because more rates of ferti­lizer were used at this location. \i\There no nitrogen fertilizer was applied, the increase in plant popu­lation resulted in a decrease in the yield of grain and had little or no effect on the silage yield. Thus the amount of grain corn in a ton of silage was reduced. This would probably reduce the feeding value of the silage. There is nothing to gain and a loss is probable if the plant population is increased above 14,000 plants per acre on a soil very deficient in nitrogen. '1 Fertiliza1io11 a11d Spaci11g of Irrigated Corn 7 By applying 50 pounds of nitro­gen per acre, the deficiency was largely corrected. At this level of fertilizer, an increase in the plant population resulted in an increase in the yield of silage but only a slight increase in the yield of grain. When 100 pounds of nitrogen was applied, the deficiency of this element was corrected. The yield of grain and silage both increased as the plant population increased. There was little or no advantage in applying more than 100 pounds of nitrogen per acre. The more economical procedure to increase the production of corn is to insure against a deficiency of nitrogen without "excessive" use and then plant ample seed. The corn crop is not likely to be injured by applying as much as 200 pounds of nitrogen per acre, but it is ex­pensive when 50 to 80 pounds is enough. There is no danger if as much as 14 pounds of seed is planted on each acre. Use of fertilizer is a good prac­tice, but it can be made a better one if 18,000 or more plants are grown on each acre. Protein Content ,vhenever the yield was in­creased by the application of nitro­gen, the percent protein in the grain was usually increased. The plant population had little effect on the protein content except for a slight tendency, in some trials, for the Figure 3.  Effect of plant population and nitrogen fertilizer on the yield of grain and silage for trial 9 in 1954. 1 5  w a: u <t 10 w n. en z 0 I- 5 -I w � < _J (/) 0 -...-.-. S I LAGE --• GRA IN ---- - - -- c ......_ - - - - - -""" . 1 5  22 29 15 · Z 2  29 IS 22 29 15 22 29 5 THOU SANO PLANTS P€R A CRE 5 0  1 00 200 POUNDS NITR06EN PER A CRE --IS 22 29 4 0 Q , ;.' ..... ex: <..> q: ex .... 90 ; w 70 B; :::::, cO so :z er: 0 30 :; u., :::l LU :c O V) 8 Sowb Dakota Experime11 t  Statio11 Circular 120 Table 2. Comparative Average Yields of Corn Varieties Grown on Both the Clay and the Sandy Soils of the Belle Fourche Irrigation Project, 1952-54 CLAY SOIL SANDY SOIL °vii:LD- '/.A!OISTURE YIELD- -·-� MOISTURE VARIETY BU./A.* AT HARVEST BU./A,* AT HARVEST Funks G-1 8  __________ 7 1 .5 DeKalb 56 ____________ 69.3 Sokota 220 ____________ 68. 1  Sokota 262 _ _____ __ _ 62.8 Wisconsin 355 ______ 6 1 .4 Funks G- l l  __________ 60.1 Jacques 853J _______ 59.6 Kingscrost KE3 __ 58 . l  •Bushels per acre a t  1 5 .5 percent moisture. protein content to decrease as the plant population increased. This occurred when the corn was grown on soil very deficient in nitrogen. Variety Varietal choice is quite important when producing corn, as there are better adapted varieties for produc­ing either grain corn or silage corn. Location is also a factor to be con­sidered, even within the Belle Fourche Irrigation Project bounda­ries. The sandier soils along the Belle Fourche River bottomland warm up more rapidly in the spring. This enables the corn to begin growing sooner than on the clay upland soils where the temperature of the soil stays cool longer, retard­ing germination of the corn. In variety trials conducted by the station for the last 3 years, 1952-54, the location of the trial on sandy or on clay soils has resulted in differ­ences in yields for the same vari­eties as shown in table 2. Consider Your Fa rm Although it is not possible to pre­scribe a procedure for all fields where corn is produced, it is not 1 8 .6 1 1 4.2 26.2 1 7.9 99.6 23.4 1 6.5 1 00.8 1 8 .7 2 1 .2 1 00.8 26.8 1 8.6 93.3 23.3 1 6.7 93.G 20.8 1 6.5 9 1 .G 20.3 14.2 80.5 1 4 .9 difficult to put the following princi­ples into practice. These are sug­gested practices for irrigated land. 1) If the bottom leaves of the corn plants grown on the field stay a dark green throughout the sum­mer, your present practices are probably satisfactory. If the leaves turn yellow before frost, a lack of nitrogen is indicated. Measures should be taken to correct the defi­ciency through improved rotations or use of fertilizer. Application of nitrogen fertilizer as late as the second cultivation is a good prac­tice. 2) Forty to 60 pounds of nitrogen per acre is enough for corn except on extremely deficient soil. It is sel­dom that applications in excess of 100 pounds will be economical. 3) Apply the phosphate to other crops in the rotation rather than to corn. 4) Plant 18,000 to 20,000 seeds per acre. Space the kernels 8 or 9 inches apart in rows 38 inches apart. Plant slightly thicker for silage. 5) Plant seed of one of the better adapted varieties. 

Fertilization and Spacing of Irrigated Corn on the Belle Fourche Irrigation Project

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Fertilization and Spacing of Irrigated Corn on the Belle Fourche Irrigation Project

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