Phosphorus and Potassium Placement Methods for Corn and Soybeans Managed with No-Till and Chisel-Plow Tillage

Continued no-till management can change many soil properties and crop yield compared with tillage. Broadcast phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) fertilization with no-till results in significant accumulation of both nutrients near the soil surface and, therefore, subsurface band fertilization could be more effective. A study was initiated in 1994 to compare no-till and chisel-plow tillage and fertilizer placement methods for a corn-soybean rotation. Floyd is the predominant soil, and the area initially tested Very High in P (33 ppm, Bray-1) and Optimum in K (140 ppm). The study includes four trials: P for corn, P for soybean, K for corn, and K for soybean. Both crops are grown each year by alternating adjacent areas. Treatments are applied for both crops, which are planted using a 30-in. row spacing. Cornstalks of plots managed with tillage are chisel-plowed in the fall and field-cultivated in spring. Soybean residues only are field cultivated in spring