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South-central Nebraska | dloc, Excellent website, thanks for the link. I have been involved in a similar but much smaller group in Nebraska over the past few years with similar findings to some of the Iowa State findings, especially reduced rates of N.
My conclusion (as I sit here watching it rain yet again instead of harvesting) is that there is no definite conclusion. This being due to variability in soils, location, climate and price of inputs and crops. I really did feel that a spring, split applied liquid program was the way to go. I have been injecting P (10-34-0) and S (12-0-0-26) with the liquid N allowing the band of nutrients to work together. The N helps move the P down, the P helps hold some of the N from moving, in a sense. We broadcasted liquid for a couple years but if not incorporated with water or tillage, we were losing N to volatilization. The split injected application gave a piece of mind insurance of spreading the feeding over a time frame. Being dry at sidedress is not a concern for me as our area is mostly pivot irrigation. I feel that I am seeing yields as good as anyone else in the area but NOT any better. With the higher cost of product and labor/timing of applying over acres twice in the early/late spring I am going to eat crow and look at something cheaper and less labor intensive.
You need to get N into the ground period. Whether sealing NH3 or injecting/incorporating liquid or dry.
I still like to see split apps of N no matter what form it is.
I have seen how cutting rates has worked, but still caution cutting too much. NH3 @ $.28 per lb x 20 extra lbs = $5.60 = 2 bushels corn.
If work load has become an issue, fall NH3 seems to be working as well as spring NH3 so why not apply, weather permitting, some in the fall and some in the spring either early injected liquid or throught the pivot.
I sold our NH3 bar years ago and have a very nice DMI liquid injector. This fall I have locked in NH3 and will have it custom applied, weather and soil conditions permitting) and sidedress some with the liquid injector and set a couple pivots up for fertigation. Next year maybe I will feel what fits best. Right now price have taken the front seat for much of the decision.
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Agronomists, is nitrogen all the same?
