Nitrogen and Phosphorus Fertilizer Placement in Corn Production

The use of strip tillage and other conservation tillage practices are used to conserve soil and soil water through residue management and reduce tillage costs in many areas of the Corn Belt. However, in the Pacific Northwest these tillage practices are less common. Strip tillage is becoming more common in the sugar beet industry in southern Idaho and due to the high dairy cow populations, corn production is increasing. The dual use of strip tillage for sugar beet and corn production will likely continue to develop, increasing the need for strip tillage best management practices in this region. In this study we evaluated the effects of common and logical nitrogen and phosphorus placements with strip tillage and conventional tillage on grain yield on four sites during 2007 and 2009 at the USDA-ARS Northwest Irrigation & Soils Research Laboratory at Kimberly, ID. Band placement of fertilizer with strip tillage increased corn grain yield by 12.5 percent (11 bu per acre) and 25.9 percent (26 bu per acre) on the eroded locations compared to broadcast nitrogen and phosphorus and 2 by 2 nitrogen (2 inches to the side and below seed with planter) under conventional tillage in 2007 and 2009, respectively. Reduced costs of strip tillage with associated band placement of fertilizer could increase the economic productivity of many acres of eroded/low fertility land in the Pacific Northwest used for corn grain production