Corn fertilizer response and safe rate guidance for various strip-till fertilizer placements

Lead Applicant: John Lauzon

Research Priority: Competitive Production Systems 

Program Type: Tier 1

Funding Cycle: 2023/2024

Research Centre: Ontario Crops Research Centre – Elora

Research Summary: Strip-till is increasingly popular for corn production to reduce tillage costs and soil losses while improving fertilizer/tillage logistics. Questions from growers adopting strip-till often revolve around fertilizer placement in-strip (maximizing nutrient/crop response, safety) and safe fertilizer rates, however, limited guidance exists. This project will investigate four fertilizer placements used by strip-tillers (shallow 4” banding, deep 6” banding, mixing throughout strip and banding strip edges). To assess fertilizer response potential and crop safety, four common strip fertilizer scenarios (fall potash, spring urea, spring P&K blend, spring N&P&K blend) will be conducted at six rates for each placement. Various soil types will be tested (sand, loam, clay loam). This project will provide growers/agronomists guidance on 1) which strip placements maximize crop responses to fertilizer, and 2) safe fertilizer rates that may be applied for common strip-till fertilizer strategies.