Oakes Irrigation
Research Site
Carrington Research Extension Center * North Dakota State University
P.O.
Box 531, Oakes, ND 58474-0531, Phone: (701) 742-2744, FAX: (701) 742-2700,
E-mail: Walter.Albus@ndsu.edu
Hybrid and Variety
Trials
Hard
red spring wheat variety trial
Onion
hybrid performance trial
Crop Production Management Studies
Corn
row width and hybrid study
Nitrogen management in hard red spring
wheat
Potato
variety nitrogen rate study
Strip-till, corn on corn nitrogen
rate study
Strip-till, corn on soybean nitrogen rate
study
Strip-till, soybean on corn study
Optimum
corn stover removal for bio-fuel and the environment
Oakes
Irrigation Research Site
Barley Variety Trial
W. Albus, L. Besemann and H. Eslinger
Irrigation allows
better nitrogen (N) utilization in malting barley which enhances grain
quality. Intensive crop fungicide
applications, split N applications, etc. facilitate the production of high
yielding, high quality barley.
The
objective of this study is to find barley varieties that are viable in
irrigated cropping systems in Southeastern, ND and to develop and demonstrate
agronomic practices that promote barley production.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
|
Previous crop: |
2010 – potato. |
|
Seedbed preparation: |
Fall conventional tillage. Spring no-tilled with a Horsch Anderson
plot drill. |
|
Planting: |
Planted on April 28 with a Horsch Anderson
plot drill. Planting rate was 3 bu/ac
(1,500,000 seeds/ac). |
|
Plots: |
Plots were 68 ft long by 7.5 ft wide. |
|
Fertilizer: |
April
14 broadcast 25 lbs N/ac, 39 lbs P2O5/ac, 48 lbs K2O/ac,
19 lbs S/ac and 2 lbs Zn/ac as 10-16-20-8-1.
Stream bar applied 75 lbs N/ac May 18 and 25 lbs N/ac May 26 as
28-0-0. |
|
Irrigation: |
Overhead sprinkler irrigation as needed. |
|
Pest control: |
Wolverine (1.7 pt/ac) May 26, Headline (6
oz/ac) May 28, Tilt (4 oz/ac) June 15, Folicur (4 oz/ac) June 23 and
June 27, and Proline (5 oz/ac) June 25. Roundup Power Max (22 oz/ac) July 21. |
|
Harvest: |
July 29 with a Hege plot combine. Harvest area was five feet wide and 68 feet
in length. |
RESULTS
Three six-row malting barley varieties: Lacey, Stellar-ND, and Tradition have been tested for six years under irrigation at this site. Their medium-short stature and strong to very strong straw strength resist lodging. These three varieties have averaged 112.7 bu/ac and 12.2% protein. There was a negative correlation of r = -0.93 with days to head with yield in 2011. No lodging notes were taken as barley varieties were flattened three times by high winds. Barley was particularly lodged by 100+ winds on July 10. Fungicide applications were able to prevent significant disease levels despite these inhospitable conditions.
Barley variety trial Table
Material and methods Index
Oakes Irrigation Research Site
Corn Hybrid Performance Trial
W. Albus, L. Besemann and H. Eslinger
Corn for grain commands the most irrigated acres of all crops in North Dakota. The fact that significant differences in the accumulation of growing degree units for corn and other weather related issues exist across the state, it is vital that corn hybrids be tested in specific locations and regions. It is the goal of this trial to provide yield and other agronomic parameters for corn growers in southeastern, North Dakota.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
|
Soil: |
Maddock sandy loam; pH=7.3; 1.6 % organic matter; soil-N
20 lb/ac; soil-P, soil-K and soil-S were very high. |
|
Previous crops: |
2010 – soybean. |
|
Seedbed preparation: |
Spring conventional tillage. |
|
Planting: |
Planted May 6 in 30-inch rows. Thinned to 34,800 plants/ac. |
|
Fertilizer: |
April
14 broadcast 25 lbs N/ac, 39 lbs P2O5/ac, 48 lbs K2O/ac,
19 lbs S/ac and 2 lbs Zn/ac as 10-16-20-8-1. Stream bar 35 lbs N/ac as 28-0-0 May
13. Sidedress 160 lbs of N/ac as
28-0-0 June 16. |
|
Irrigation: |
Overhead sprinkler irrigation as needed |
|
Pest Control: |
Harness (1 pt/ac) + Lumax (1 pt/ac) + Atrazine (0.5 lb/ac ai)
May 23. |
|
October 20 with a plot combine. Harvest area was two rows 17 feet long |
RESULTS
A July 10, storm with
winds from 100 to 130 miles per hour had a major impact on this trial. Hybrids were in a growth stage that was very
susceptible to green snap. Green snap ranged from 7 to 79 percent across
hybrids. Green snap counts were taken
and analyzed as percent green snap for hybrids.
Green snap for hybrids was significant with an R2 =
0.86. A more in depth analysis of green
snap results are presented in a section entitled “Green Snap in Corn”.
Corn Hybrid Performance Trial Table 1. Irrigated Table
2. Dry land
Material and methods Index
Oakes Irrigation Research Site
Hard Red Spring Wheat Variety Trial
W. Albus, L. Besemann and H. Eslinger
MATERIALS AND METHODS
|
Soil: |
Embden loam and Gardena loam; pH=7.1; 2.2 %
organic matter; soil-N 23 lb/ac; soil-P, soil-K and soil-S were very
high. |
|
Previous crop: |
2010 - potato. |
|
Seedbed preparation: |
Fall conventional tillage. Spring no-tilled with a Horsch Anderson
plot drill. |
|
Planting: |
Planted April 28 with a Horsch Anderson
plot drill. Planting rate was 1.85
bu/ac (1,500,000 seeds/ac). |
|
Plots: |
Plots were 68 ft long by 7.5 ft wide. There were four reps. |
|
Fertilizer: |
April
14 broadcast 25 lbs N/ac, 39 lbs P2O5/ac, 48 lbs K2O/ac,
19 lbs S/ac and 2 lbs Zn/ac as 10-16-20-8-1. Stream bar 75 lbs N/ac May 18
and 50 lbs N/ac May 26 as 28-0-0. |
|
Irrigation: |
Overhead sprinkler irrigation as needed. |
|
Pest control: |
Wolverine (1.7 pt/ac) May 26, Headline (6
oz/ac) May 28, Evito (4 oz/ac) June 18, Folicur (4 oz/ac) June 27 and Proline
(5 oz/ac) June 30. Roundup
Power Max (30 oz/ac) July 28. |
|
Harvest: |
August 4 with a Hege plot combine. Harvest area was five feet wide and 68 feet
in length. |
RESULTS
Yield,
test weight, grain protein, plant height, bacterial blight score and maturity
were significantly different among varieties.
Yields were 55.0 bu/ac in 2011 compared to the five year average of 66.0
bu/ac. Fungal diseases in more
susceptible varieties were kept in check with fungicides.
Hard red spring wheat Table Nitrogen management
in hard red spring wheat Table
Material and methods Index
Oakes Irrigation Research Site
Onion
Hybrid Performance
Trial
W. Albus, L. Besemann and H.
Eslinger
Onions have done well
under irrigation in ND. Yellow sweet Spanish
is the predominate type grown. This
study tested 14 sweet Spanish hybrids.
|
Soil: |
Hecla sandy loam and Maddock sandy loam; pH=7.2; 1.7 %
organic matter; soil-N 10 lb/ac; soil-P and soil-K were very high; soil-S was
medium. |
|
Previous crops: |
2010 – barley. |
|
Seedbed preparation: |
Spring
strip-till. |
|
Planting: |
Direct seeded onions (285,000 seeds/ac) May 2 with a
Monosem precision planter. Onions were
planted: 2 lines per row with 2.5 inches between lines and rows on 16‑inch
centers. |
|
Plots: |
Plots were 3 ft (two rows) wide by 17 ft long. The study had 4 reps. |
|
Fertilizer: |
April
14 broadcast 25 lbs N/ac, 39 lbs P2O5/ac, 48 lbs K2O/ac,
19 lbs S/ac and 2 lbs Zn/ac as 10-16-20-8-1. Stream-bar 30 lbs N/ac as 28-0-0 on
June 14, June 23, June 29 and July 8. |
|
Irrigation: |
Overhead sprinkler irrigation as needed. |
|
Pest control: |
Section 2EC (8 oz/ac) June 1, Buctril (1 pt/ac) + Goal 2XL
(0.6 oz/ac) June 16 and hand weeding. |
|
Harvest: |
Pulled all onions September 30, bagged and left to field
dry. After field drying onions were
moved to indoor storage and graded. |
RESULTS
Onions which were emerged beautifully were severely
injured by a May 21, hail storm. Mean
onion population at harvest was 56,500 plants/ac from a planted rate of 285,000 seeds/ac.
Therefore results are better viewed as a population study. If one looks at previous years
data Sedona, Delgado, and Crocket averaged 815, 741, and 705 cwt/ac
respectively from 2007‑2010.
Sedona, Delgado, and Crocket averaged 556, 552 and 467 cwt/ac in the
greater than 3 inch size from 2007-2010.
Onion hybrid performance trial Table Effect of final onion population on yield Figure 1.
Material and methods Index
Oakes Irrigation Research Site
Soybean Variety Trial
W. Albus, L.
Besemann and H. Eslinger
Two soybean variety trials were conducted at the Oakes Irrigation Research Site, a non‑GMO (conventional trial) and a roundup ready trial. Results for the conventional trial are listed in Table 1 and results for the roundup ready trial are listed in Table 2.
MATERIALS AND
METHODS
|
Soil: |
Maddock sandy loam and Egeland loam;
pH=7.4; 1.8 % organic matter; soil‑N 19 lb/ac; soil-P was very high;
soil-K was high; soil-S was very high. |
|
Previous crop: |
2010 – potato and edible bean. |
|
Seedbed preparation: |
Spring
conventional tillage. |
|
Planting: |
Planted soybean May 24 in
30-inch rows. |
|
Plots: |
Plots were 17 ft long by 5 ft
(2 rows) wide. There were 4 reps. |
|
Fertilizer: |
April
14 broadcast 25 lbs N/ac, 39 lbs P2O5/ac, 48 lbs K2O/ac,
19 lbs S/ac and 2 lbs Zn/ac as 10-16-20-8-1. |
|
Irrigation: |
Overhead sprinkler
irrigation as needed. |
|
Pest control: |
Conventional soybean: Raptor (4 oz/ac) July 5 and Basagran (2 pt/ac) July 15. Roundup ready soybean: Roundup Power Max (30 oz/ac) July 5. Conventional and roundup
soybean: Trust (1¼ pt/ac) May 19,
Resource (4 oz/ac) + Basagran (2 pt/ac), Endura (11 oz/ac) July 11
and July 18, and Proline (5 oz/ac) July 25 for disease control. Mustang Max (4 oz/ac) August 4 for
insect control. |
|
Harvest: |
October 7 with a plot combine. |
RESULTS
Grain
yield, plant height, seed oil and protein %, and plant lodging were
significantly affected by variety in the roundup ready trial. Grain yield,
plant height, seed oil, protein %, seeds/pound, and test weight were
significantly affected by variety in the conventional trial. Yields in the
Roundup Ready trial averaged 63.6 bu/ac compared to the four year average of 62.8 bu/ac.
Soybean variety trial tables
Material and methods Index
Oakes Irrigation Research Site
Ted Helms, NDSU Department of Plant Sciences
Breeding experiments were conducted at the Oakes Irrigation Research Site in 2011. These experiments are combined with testing at other sites to provide information regarding how experimental soybean lines perform in diverse environments. The best experimental lines are then advanced to the next stage of testing or perhaps released as named cultivars. The released cultivars are then distributed to farmers to grow on their farms. Oakes is an especially useful testing site because of the high yield and the tendency for the plants to grow tall and lodge, due to the application of irrigation. Those genotypes that are susceptible to lodging can then be identified and discarded. Farmers do not want cultivars that are susceptible to lodging and Oakes is the best location to identify lodging problems. The studies consisted of an experiment to evaluate natto types for the value-added specialty market, an experiment to evaluate tofu types for the value-added specialty market, and a conventional line test.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
|
Soil: |
Maddock sandy loam; pH=7.4;
1.7% organic matter, soil‑N 14 lb/ac, soil-P was very high;
soil-K was high; soil-S was very high.
|
|
Previous crop: |
2010
– potato. |
|
Seedbed preparation: |
Spring conventional tillage. |
|
Planting: |
Planted soybeans May 25, in
30-inch rows. |
|
Plots: |
Plots were 17 ft long by 5 ft
(2 rows) wide. All studies had 3 reps. |
|
Fertilizer: |
April
14 broadcast 25 lbs N/ac, 39 lbs P2O5/ac, 48 lbs K2O/ac,
19 lbs S/ac and 2 lbs Zn/ac as 10-16-20-8-1. |
|
Irrigation: |
Overhead sprinkler
irrigation as needed. |
|
Pest control: |
Trust (1¼ pt/ac) May 19, Resource (4 oz/ac) + Basagran (2 pt/ac)
June 14, Raptor (4 oz/ac) July 5 and Basagran (2 pt/ac) July 5. Endura (11 oz/ac) July 11 and July 18;
Proline
(5 oz/ac) July 25. Mustang Max (4 oz/ac) August 4. |
|
Harvest: |
October 14 with a plot combine. |
Soybean breeding tables Soybean variety trial tables
Conventional Natto Tufo Conventional Roundup Ready
Material and methods Index
Oakes Irrigation Research Site
Nitrogen Management in Hard Red Spring Wheat Utilizing Remote Sensing
W. Albus, L. Besemann and H. Eslinger
Intense
management in hard red spring wheat including; plant population, seeding depth,
disease control, weed control, nitrogen rate and timing have made great strides
in increasing yield levels of quality grain.
Nitrogen (N) uptake in wheat occurs during late spring and early summer
when soil mineralization of N can vary greatly from year to year. Therefore the next step in intensive
management of hard spring wheat requires a method for determining plant N
sufficiency in real time. Excessive N,
results in increased lodging that reduces yield. Insufficient N, results in low yields and low
protein. Also, plant indicators can
allow us to determine if post flowering applications of N will increase grain
protein.
To
meet these objectives Faller hard red spring wheat was grown under intensive
management at four N rates: 100, 150, 180 and 200 lb N/acre. Faller was picked as it is grown on a
significant acreage in ND and tends to be low in protein. Normalized difference red edge values (NDRE)
is a plant sensed indices that measures vegetation by both red edge color and
bio-mass and thus can be used as a measure of plant N sufficiency. A goal in this study is to determine what
sufficiency value is required to meet plant needs. Plots received 25 lb N/acre broadcast and
incorporated prior to planting. Plots
received a stream bar application of 75 lb N/acre as urea ammonium nitrate
(28-0-0) on May 18, nine days after emergence. The 150 and 180 lb N/acre treatments received
a stream bar application of 50 lb N/acre as 28-0-0 on May 26. One hundred lb N/acre was applied to the 200
lb N/acre treatment on the same day. The
180 lb N/acre received 30 lb N/acre as 28-0-0 stream bar at post
flowering on July 5. This treatment was
included to determine if a flowering application would increase protein level.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
|
Soil: |
Embden loam and Gardena loam; pH=7.2; 2.6 %
organic matter; soil-N 27 lb/acre; soil-P, soil-K and soil-S were very
high. |
|
Previous crop: |
2010 – Edible bean. |
|
Seedbed preparation: |
Fall conventional tillage. Spring no-tilled with a Horsch Anderson
plot drill. |
|
Planting: |
Planted Faller April 28 with a Horsch
Anderson plot drill. Planting rate was
1.85 bu/acre (1,500,000 seeds/acre). |
|
Plots: |
Plots were 17.5 ft long by 36 ft (four
passes) wide. There were four reps. |
|
Fertilizer: |
April
13 broadcast 25 lbs N/acre, 39 lbs P2O5/acre, 48 lbs K2O/acre,
19 lbs S/acre and 2 lbs Zn/acre as 10-16-20-8-1. Stream bar 75 lbs N/acre May 18 as
28-0-0. Stream bar 75 lbs N/acre May 18 as
28-0-0. Stream bar 50 lbs N/acre (150 and 180
treatments) and 100 lb N/ac (200 lb treatment) May 26 and 30 lbs N/acre (180
lb treatment) July 5 as 28‑0‑0. |
|
Irrigation: |
Overhead sprinkler irrigation as needed. |
|
Pest control: |
Wolverine (1.7 pt/acre) May 26, Headline (6
oz/acre) May 28, Folicur (4 oz/acre) June 27 and Proline (5 oz/acre)
June 30. Roundup Power Max (30
oz/ac) July 28. |
|
Remote
sensing: |
Remote
sensing was achieved with a Holland Crop Circle ACS active canopy sensor
(normalized difference red edge ‑ NDRE). |
|
Harvest: |
August 4 with a Hege plot combine. Harvest area was two five foot wide passes
17 feet in length from the center of each plot. |
RESULTS
Grain yields and test weights were lowered by N application rates above 100 lb N/acre. Protein content and soil nitrate-N (0-2’) on August 22 increased with increasing N level. Lodging and NDRE values tended to increase with increasing N. Return to N decreased with increasing fertilizer N. Although 2010 fall soil testing showed only 27 lb nitrate-N/acre, wheat yields were maximized at 100 lb N/acre. Therefore, soil mineralization of soil organic N was much higher than expected. For this site the NDSU N fertilizer recommendation for a high productivity area in southeastern ND would be 250 lb N/acre for a 60 bu/acre yield goal ($0.50 lb/N) minus 27 lb N. Thus, the recommendation would be 223 lb N/acre based on sound research. This data set demonstrates that extreme environmental conditions can change plant-soil interactions to the point that N efficiency could be increased by modifying N recommendations, in-season, through the use of plant sensors that determine plant N sufficiency.
Another other dilemma in fertilizing wheat is the potential for yield robbing lodging at N rates above sufficiency. At very high yield levels one walks a tight rope between getting sufficient N, while not promoting lodging. This is shown in (Fig. 1) where the lodging based on a scale of 0-9 (0 no lodging and 9 flat) shows the negative relationship between lodging and yield.
Plant N sufficiency value is based on the NDRE value of an N treatment compared to an NDRE value of a high reference N treatment (N applied at a rate above that known to be sufficient). The hypothesis in this study was to assume that if the NDRE value of an N treatment was between 95-98% of the value in the N high reference treatment, no additional fertilizer N would need to be applied. The 200 lb N/ac rate was used as the high reference treatment. In the case of this data set, NDRE values for the 100, 150 and 150+30 lb N/ac treatments were all above 96% of the 200 lb N/acre treatment (Fig. 2) on June 8 which indicated plant N sufficiency was achieved at the 100 lb N/acre treatment. Return to N in this study was $166.20 above the 200 lb N/ac if the plant N sufficiency approach was used. This study will be continued in the future to determine calibration data in a more typical soil-plant N environment.
Nitrogen management in hard red spring wheat Table Hard red spring wheat
variety trial Table
Material and methods Index
Oakes Irrigation Research Site
Corn Hybrid and Row Width Study
W. Albus, L. Besemann and H.
Eslinger
A three year study
on corn row width and population from 2006-2008 showed no significant yield
advantage to 15-inch or 30-inch paired rows over 30-inch rows. The lack of
response to narrower rows goes against research at this site in the 70’s and
80’s. Although the lack of response to
narrow rows was very consistent from 2006-2008, row width is such a major
decision in planter selection that row width studies should be continued. Since 15-inch rows gives the most inter-row
plant spacing it was decided there is no reason to test other narrow row
configurations until we get a consistent yield response to 15-inch rows.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
|
Soil: |
Maddock sandy loam and Embden sandy loam;
pH=7.2; 1.8% organic matter; soil-N 17 lbs/ac; soil-P, soil-K and soil-S were
very high. |
|
Previous crop: |
2010 – soybean, sugarbeet and sunflower. |
|
Seedbed Preparation: |
Conventional
tillage practices. |
|
Planting: |
Planted May 7 in 30-inch (38,000/ac) and
15-inch (39,000/ac) row spacing. |
|
Plots: |
Plots in reps one and two were 68 ft long
by 10 ft wide and reps three and four were 136 ft long by 10 ft wide. Plots with 30-inch row spacing had 4 rows;
plots with 15-inch spacing had 8 rows. |
|
Fertilizer: |
April
14 broadcast 25 lbs N/ac, 39 lbs P2O5/ac, 48 lbs K2O/ac,
19 lbs S/ac and 2 lbs Zn/ac as 10-16-20-8-1. Stream bar 35 lbs N/ac May 13 and
140 lbs N/ac June 10 as 28-0-0. |
|
Irrigation: |
Overhead sprinkler irrigation as needed. |
|
Pest control: |
Harness (1 pt/ac) + Lumax (1 pt/ac) +
Atrazine (0.528 lb/ac) May 23 and Roundup
Power Max (30 oz/ac) July 5. |
|
Harvest: |
Harvested October 11. Harvest area was the entire length of the
plot (four row in the 30 inch rows and eight rows from the 15 inch rows. |
RESULTS
For
the first time in this study 15-inch rows yielded significantly more than
30-inch rows. Stand establishment was a problem
in this trial as in 2010 (15-inch rows, 35,000, and 30-inch rows 30,500)
resulting in the 15-inch rows having a final stand of 34,800 plants/ac compared
to 32,300 plants/ac for the 30-inch rows.
Test weights were higher in 30-inch rows. Harvest grain moisture, test weight,
population and ear height were also significantly different between
hybrids. Yield comparison between 15 and
30-inch rows from 2006 to 2011 are shown in (Fig. 1). At least two different hybrids were used each
year of the study.
Corn hybrid and row width Table
Material and methods Index
Oakes Irrigation Research Site
Energy Beet Variety Trial
Syngenta, Green Vision and NDSU
An irrigated energy beet variety
trial was initiated in the Oakes in 2009 as a cooperative project among the Green
Vision Group, Syngenta was continued in 2011.
Syngenta partners in the trial at Oakes.
Energy beets hold a great potential as feed stock for ethanol plants. High yielding energy beet germplasm may yield
higher than germplasm for sugarbeets that must meet
rigid sugar quality and impurity indexes.
It is the objective of this trial to determine the yield potential of
energy beets under irrigation in SE ND.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
|
Soil: |
Hecla sandy loam and Maddock sandy loam; pH=7.0; 2.2 %
organic matter; soil-N 33 lb/ac; soil-P was very high; soil-K was high;
soil-S was very high. |
|
Previous crops: |
2010 – onion. |
|
Seedbed preparation: |
Conventional
tillage practices. |
|
Planting: |
May 24. Sugarbeet
were planted in rows on 22‑inch centers. |
|
Plots: |
Plots were 5.5 ft (three rows) wide by 17 ft long. The study had 4 reps. |
|
Fertilizer: |
April
14 broadcast 25 lbs N/ac, 39 lbs P2O5/ac, 48 lbs K2O/ac,
19 lbs S/ac and 2 lbs Zn/ac as 10-16-20-8-1. Stream-bar 75 lbs N/ac June 2, and 50
lbs N/ac July 6 as 28-0-0. |
|
Irrigation: |
Overhead sprinkler irrigation as needed. |
|
Pest control: |
Roundup Power Max (30 oz/ac) July 5 and July 28. Headline (12 oz/ac) August 4 and September
1, Eminent (13 oz/ac) August 17 and September 19 |
|
Harvest: |
October 12. |
Results
Yields were remarkable good in 2011
as they were planted on May 24, and soil pathogens reduced stands
significantly. Sugarbeets
have averaged 37.7 ton/ac over the past six years (Fig. 1).
Energy beet Table
Material and methods Index
Oakes Irrigation Research Site
Green Snap in Corn
W. Albus, L. Besemann and H. Eslinger
A July 10, thunder storm with winds from 100 to 130 MPH changed a corn hybrid performance trial into a green snap study. Although disappointed by the devastation in this trial, this situation gave a very unique opportunity to study the effects of green snap on corn yield and hybrid susceptibility. Sixty three hybrids were included in this trial with relative maturities (RM) ranging from 85 to 101 days. Silk date in these hybrids ranged from July 18 to July 31. The main objective of this study was to compare green snap to yield loss. Another objective was to determine the effect of growth stage on green snap. In this data set with a wide range of RM and silk dates there would be a significant range in growth stages at the time of the green snap event. Therefore RM and silk date were used as an indicator of growth stage and compared them to green snap. The last objective was to determine the effect of the hybrids themselves on green snap.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
|
Soil: |
Maddock sandy loam; pH=7.3; 1.6 % organic matter; soil-N
20 lb/ac; soil-P, soil-K and soil-S were very high. |
|
|
Previous crops: |
2010 – soybean. |
|
|
Seedbed preparation: |
Spring conventional tillage. |
|
|
Planting: |
Planted May 6 in 30-inch rows. Thinned to 34,800 plants/ac. |
|
|
Fertilizer: |
April
14 broadcast 25 lbs N/ac, 39 lbs P2O5/ac, 48 lbs K2O/ac,
19 lbs S/ac and 2 lbs Zn/ac as 10-16-20-8-1. Stream bar 35 lbs N/ac as 28-0-0 May
13. Sidedress 160 lbs of N/ac as
28-0-0 June 16. |
|
|
Irrigation: |
Overhead sprinkler irrigation as needed |
|
|
Pest Control: |
Harness (1 pt/ac) + Lumax (1 pt/ac) + Atrazine
(0.5 lb/ac ai) May 23. |
|
|
October 20 with a plot combine. Harvest area was two rows 17 feet long |
||
Green
snap percentages were determined by counting viable ears left in each plot on
September 12. The complete data set for
the 63 hybrids can be found in the section entitled “Corn
Hybrid Performance Trial”. For the
sake of discussion; (Table 1.) shows five hybrids
with the least green snap and five hybrids with the most green snap. This shows 161 bu/ac
between lowest to highest percent green snap. Statistical analysis for
the 63 hybrids is shown at the bottom of the table and shows a close
relationship between hybrid and green snap.
The probability is that 95 percent of the time when green snap varied by
more than 11 percent between hybrids, those differences were due to the hybrids
and not some other source. The
relationship between percent green snap and percent yield loss is presented in
(Fig. 1). The average yield loss per percent of green
snap is 0.90 percent. As the line is not
straight, (Fig. 2) shows the percent
of yield loss per percent of green snap within three ranges of green snap
percentage. Green snap percentage in the
ranges of 1 to 20 percent and 71 to 100 percent showed the most yield loss
per percentage of green snap. The
population of viable ears after green snap is compared to the grain weight per
ear in (Fig. 3).
Certainly,
within the wide range of corn silk dates (Fig.
4) and RM (Fig. 5), there would have
been a few days difference in growth stage among these hybrids, yet RM and silk
date had little to no effect on green snap.
Also one would think that do to the variable placement of each hybrid in
a four replication design differences in wind velocity, rain, plot orientation,
etc. these variables would over shadow the effect of hybrid on green snap. But the data clearly shows that hybrid had
the most influence on green snap by far.
One must remember though that these differences were recorded in an
extreme weather event that hopefully is rare.
Corn Hybrid Performance Trial Table: Irrigated Green snap in corn: Table
Green snap Pictures: Horsch
Anderson, Late plant date (May 25),
Late planted borders (June 9)
Green snap Pictures: Corn Hybrid
performance trial, Corn row width
Material and methods Index
Oakes Irrigation
Research Site
W. Albus, L. Besemann and H. Eslinger
In a corn planting date study from
1983-86, six hybrids representing 80, 90 and 100 day relative maturities
yielded from 196 bu/ac on the April 29 (early), planting to 151 bu/ac on April
29 (late). Of particular importance was
the yield variance found on the late planting date. Corn yielded 188 bu/ac in
1986 and just 111 bu/ac in 1985 on the late planting date. The
possibility of a yield hit like 1985 causes concern in growers as planting
dates approach the insurance deadline of May 25. The objective of this study was to plant corn
hybrids of 93, 96 and 101 day relative maturity (RM) on the insurance deadline
in 2011 to determine the effect of late planting on yield and other agronomic
measurements.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
|
Soil: |
Maddock sandy loam; pH=7.0; 1.9% organic
matter; soil-N 25 lbs/ac; soil-P, soil-K and soil-S were very high. |
|
Previous crop: |
2010 – field corn. |
|
Seedbed Preparation: |
Conventional
tillage practices. |
|
Planting: |
Planted May 25 in 30-inch rows (33,000/ac). |
|
Plots: |
Plots were 10 feet wide (4 rows) and 136
feet long. The study had four reps. |
|
Fertilizer: |
April
14 broadcast 25 lbs N/ac, 39 lbs P2O5/ac, 48 lbs K2O/ac,
19 lbs S/ac and 2 lbs Zn/ac as 10-16-20-8-1. Stream bar 75 lbs N/ac June 2 and
sidedress 160 lbs N/ac June 24 as 28-0-0. |
|
Irrigation: |
Overhead sprinkler irrigation as needed. |
|
Pest control: |
Roundup Power Max (30 oz/ac) + Atrazine (0.50
lb ai/acre) + Buctril (1 pt/acre) June 13 and Roundup Power Max (30 oz/ac) July 5. |
|
Harvest: |
Harvested October 14 with a 1640 Case IH
combine and recorded with a weigh wagon.
Harvest area was the entire length of the plot (four rows). |
RESULTS
This
data indicates that 2011 was a great year for late planted corn, in this case
May 25. Late planted corn was small
enough to incur little damage by a July 10, storm. Green snap exceeded 50%, in some cases when
corn was planted on normal planting dates.
Hot temperatures in July pushed the late planted corn along as the 101
RM corn silked by August 1 and was mature on September 10. Past research shows yields to be reduced significantly
as silk date progresses pass August 1.
An average corn yield of 245 bu/ac was totally
unexpected but did indicate what earlier planted corn might have yielded
without severe storm damage. The
decision making dilemma is; do we give up the yield of a good year like 2011 by
not planting late or deal with a low yield, wet, low test weight corn from a
late planting date in a growing season where heat units become limited.
Late planting date corn study Table
Material and methods Index
Oakes Irrigation Research Site
Potato Variety Nitrogen Rate Study
W. Albus, L. Besemann and H.
Eslinger
MATERIALS AND METHODS
|
Soil: |
Maddock sandy loam; pH=7.3; 1.6 % organic
matter; soil-N 20 lb/ac; soil‑P, soil-K and soil-S were very high. |
|
Previous crop: |
2010 – soybean. |
|
Seedbed Preparation: |
Conventional tillage practices. |
|
Planting: |
May 6.
Planting rate was one seed piece per foot. |
|
Plots: |
Plots were 17 ft long by 12 ft wide (4
rows). There were four reps. |
|
Fertilizer: |
April
14 broadcast 25 lbs N/ac, 39 lbs P2O5/ac, 48 lbs K2O/ac,
19 lbs S/ac and 2 lbs Zn/ac as 10-16-20-8-1. See Table 2. for
N rate treatments. |
|
Irrigation: |
Overhead sprinkler irrigation as needed. |
|
Pest control: |
Matrix (1½ oz/ac) June 24 for weed
control. See Table 1. for fungicides used for disease control. |
|
Remote
sensing: |
Remote
sensing was achieved with a Minolta Spad 502 chlorophyll meter and a Holland
Crop Circle ACS active canopy sensor (normalized difference red edge – NDRE). |
Although
fertilizer nitrogen(N) rate didn’t significantly
affect yield, Bannock Russet and Dakota Trailblazer yields tended to be highest
at 180 lb N/ac and Russet Burbank at 240 lb N/ac. A different picture evolves if one accounts
for the graded yield as 0-4 oz, 4-6 oz 6-12 oz and > 12 oz have a market value of $5.00/cwt, $14.50/cwt, $12.00/cwt and
$16.00/cwt respectively. When graded
value is accounted for, the highest return to N was found at the 180 lb N/ac N
rate in Bannock russet and at the 300 lb N/ac N rate in the other varieties.
The 180 lb N/ac N rate in Bannock Russet and the 300 lb N/ac in the other
varieties also showed the highest return to N when averaged from
2010-2011. Except for the NDRE
measurements in Bannock Russet and Dakota Trailblazer on July 14, all NDRE,
chlorophyll meter and petiole sap measurements were significantly affected by N
rate. Petioles for nitrate-N analysis
were composited from four replications so they were not statistically
analyzed. Nitrate-N in petioles exceeded
the critical value for all varieties at the 240 and 300 lb N rates on all
sampling dates, (Fig. 1), and for the
mean values for 2010 and 2011 in (Fig. 2).
Petiole sap averaged across the
three varieties exceeded the critical value for sufficiency on all dates, (Fig. 3).
The percent of maximum chlorophyll meter readings and NDRE values at
measurement dates are shown in Fig (Fig. 4)
and (Fig. 5), respectively. (Fig. 6)
indicates that in the July 22 to August 4 time frame, from 2010 to 2011, mean
yields of the three varieties were maximized when maximum NDRE value exceeded
96%. The regression curve in (Fig. 7) shows that the yields averaged from
2010 to 2011 would have been maximized at about 225 lb N/ac.
Potato N-rate
Tables. 1, 2 and 3
Material and methods Index
Oakes Irrigation Research Site
Strip-Till, Corn on Corn, Nitrogen Rate Study
W. Albus, L. Besemann and H. Eslinger
Corn grain production has made amazing
increases in both yield and number of acres planted ND in the past 14
years. Figure
1 shows the corn acres planted and total bushels harvested in ND from
1997-2011. We are currently planting
about 2.05 million acres of corn and producing about 226 million bushels
annually.
Current estimates show ND producing 388 million gallons of ethanol in
2011. At an efficiency of 2.8 gal/bu of corn this ethanol production requires
138 million bushels of corn annually, which is almost
two thirds of the corn grown in the state.
Although corn for several of these plants comes from out of State, corn
acres must increase in ND to meet future demand. This will require more continuous corn in
crop rotations.
It is the objectives
of this study to grow continuous corn in a strip-till system that eliminates
full width tillage and to find efficient nitrogen placement and rates. Plots are spring strip-tilled. Fertilizer nitrogen is applied in two split
applications, the first by planting and the second at side-dress. Placement is addressed by applying the
planting time N application either with the strip-till operation prior to
planting or dribbling to the side of the seed furrow at planting. Determining nitrogen sufficiency in time is
important to achieve N efficiency.
Remote sensing utilizing aerial photography (light reflectance), a
Holland Crop Circle ACS 430 active canopy sensor (normalized difference red
edge – NDRE) and a Minolta SPAD 502 chlorophyll meter were tested to determine
ability to measure N sufficiency.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
|
Soil: |
Embden sandy loam and Helca sandy loam;
pH=7.1; 2.3% organic matter; soil‑N average 8 lb/ac; soil-P and soil-K were
high; soil-S was low. |
|
Previous crop: |
2010 - field corn. |
|
Seedbed preparation: |
Strip-till May 16 with an Orthman
strip-till machine. |
|
Hybrid: |
Wensman W7270VT 3PRO |
|
Planting: |
Planted May 17 in 30-inch rows @ 33,000
seeds/ac. |
|
Plots: |
Plots were 137 ft long by 20 ft (8 rows)
wide. There were four reps. |
|
Fertilizer: |
April 25 all plots received a
broadcast application of 157 lb K2O/ac as 0‑0-60. May 16 all
plots received 12 lb N/ac and 40 lb P2O5
as 10-34-0 via strip-till. The 25 lb/ac plots received 13 lb N/ac and 18 lb S/ac as 15 0-0-20
dribbled after planting. All plots,
except the 25 lb/ac N rate treatments, received 40 lb N/ac as
28-0-0, 13 lb N/ac and 18 lb S/ac as 15-0-0-20 via strip till or dribble at
planting (May 17). Sidedress N
treatments June 24; the 200 lb treatments received 135 lb N/ac and 150
treatments received 85 lb N/ac as 28‑0-0 (three inches deep). |
|
Irrigation: |
Hand move sprinkler irrigation as needed. |
|
Pest control: |
Harness (1 pt/ac) + Lumax (1 pt/ac) +
Atrazine (0.5 lb ai/ac) + Roundup Power Max (30 oz/ac) May 23 and Roundup Power Max
(30 oz/ac) June 27. |
|
Remote
sensing: |
Remote sensing was achieved with a Minolta Spad 502 chlorophyll meter and a Holland Crop Circle ACS active canopy sensor (normalized difference
red edge – NDRE). |
All
plots were spring strip-tilled at a six to eight-inch depth with ten gal/ac of
10-34-0 applied. The 10-34-0 was placed
at about 2 inches deep in this operation. So all plots received 12 lb N/ac
at this time. We are testing the
application of the 10-34-0 at this shallow depth in the strip-till application
to determine any evident seed burn. No
apparent damage to emerged stands was noted from 2010-11. The 25 lb N/ac
treatments got another 13 lb N/ac dribbled to the side of the seed row after
planting as ammonium thiosulfate. The remainder of the first N split in the 150
and 200 lb N/ac treatments was applied at a six-inch depth with strip-till as
45 lb N/ac as UAN and 8 lb N/ac as ammonium thiosulfate Note, ammonium
thiosulfate must not get in contact with the seed. In the 150d and 200d treatments the remainder
of the first split applied was applied as UAN at 45 lb N/ac and 8 lb N/ac as
ammonium thiosulfate applied in a surface dribbled to the side of the seed row
at planting. The second N split in the
150, 200, 150d and 200d treatments was applied as UAN at side-dress in-between
every row at a three-inch depth.
Determining
nitrogen sufficiency in time is important to achieve N efficiency. Remote sensing utilizing aerial photography
(light reflectance), a Holland Crop Circle ACS 430 active canopy sensor
(normalized difference red edge – NDRE) and a Minolta SPAD 502 chlorophyll
meter were tested to determine ability to measure N sufficiency.
Increasing nitrogen rates (N)
increased grain yield, chlorophyll meter readings, normalized difference red
edge (NDRE) and grain protein. Light
reflectance measurements decreased with increasing N because dark green plants
absorb more red light than light green plants.
Remote sensing by chlorophyll meter, Crop Circle Sensor or aerial
photography did well in predicting corn N status, (Fig. 3).
No significant difference in yield was found between N placement at planting.
Chlorophyll meter readings and NDRE values were very well correlated (r
= 0.99). The relationship between the
percent of maximum NDRE values and return $ to N in late July, averaged from
2010 to 2011, is shown in (Fig. 2). The relationship between the percent of
maximum NDRE values and fertilizer N rate in late July, averaged from 2010 to
2011 is shown in (Fig. 3).
Strip-till corn on corn Table
Material and methods Index
Oakes Irrigation Research Site
Strip-Till, Corn on Soybean, Nitrogen Rate Study
W. Albus, L. Besemann and H.
Eslinger
The objective
of this study is to compare corn yields of a corn/soybean rotation to those in
a companion corn/corn rotation and to find differences in N response and other
agronomic measurements in these no-till rotations, utilizing strip-till.
|
Soil: |
Gardena loam, Embden loam and
Embden sandy loam; pH=7.2; 2.1 % organic matter; soil-N average 8 lbs/ac;
soil‑P was very high; soil-K was high; soil-S was low. |
|
Previous crop: |
2010 – soybean. |
|
Seedbed Preparation: |
Strip-till May 16 with an Orthman
strip-till machine. |
|
Hybrid: |
Wensman W7270VT 3PRO |
|
Planting: |
Planted April 27 @ 33,000 plants
per acre in 30 inch rows. |
|
Plots: |
Plots were 37 ft long by 15 ft
(6 rows) wide. There were four reps. |
|
Fertilizer: |
April 26 all plots received a broadcast application of 157
lbs K2O/ac as 0‑0-60.
May 16 all plots received 12 lbs
N/ac and 40 lbs P2O5 as 10-34-0 via strip-till. The 25 lb/ac plots received 13 lbs N/ac and
18 lbs S/ac as 15-0-0-20 dribbled after planting. All plots, except the 25 lb/ac N rate
treatments, received 40 lbs N/ac as 28-0-0, 13 lbs N/ac and 18 lbs S/ac as
15-0-0-20 via strip till or dribble at planting (May 17). Sidedress N treatments June 24; the 200 lb
treatments received 135 lbs N/ac, the 150 treatments received 85 lbs N/ac and
the 100 lb treatments received 35 lbs/ac as 28-0-0 (three inches deep). |
|
Irrigation: |
Overhead sprinkler irrigation
as needed. |
|
Pest control: |
Harness (1 pt/ac) +Lumax (1 pt/ac) +
Atrazine (0.5 lbs ai/ac) + Roundup Power Max (30 oz/ac) May 23 and Roundup Power Max
(30 oz/ac) June 27. |
|
Remote
sensing: |
Remote
sensing was achieved with a Minolta Spad 502 chlorophyll meter and a Holland
Crop Circle ACS active canopy sensor (normalized difference red edge – NDRE). |
All plots were
spring strip-tilled at a six to eight-inch depth with ten gal/ac of 10-34-0 applied. The 10-34-0 was placed at about 2 inches
deep in this operation. All plots received 12 lb N/ac at this time. We are testing the application of the 10-34-0
at this shallow depth in the strip-till application to determine any evident
seed burn. No apparent damage to emerged
stands was noted from 2010-11. The 25 lb N/ac treatments got another 13 lb N/ac
dribbled to the side of the seed row after planting as ammonium thiosulfate.
The remainder of the first N split in the 100, 150 and 200 lb N/ac treatments
was applied at a six-inch depth with strip-till as 45 lb N/ac as UAN and 8 lb
N/ac as ammonium thiosulfate. Note, ammonium thiosulfate must not get in contact with the
seed. In the 100d treatment the
remainder of the first split was applied as UAN at 45 lb N/ac and 8 lb
N/ac as ammonium thiosulfate applied surface dribbled to the side of the seed
row at planting. The second N split in
the 100, 100d, 150, and 200 treatments was applied as UAN at side-dress in‑between
every row at a three-inch depth.
Determining
nitrogen sufficiency in time is important to achieve N efficiency. Remote sensing utilizing aerial photography
(light reflectance), a Holland Crop Circle ACS 430 active canopy sensor (normalized
difference red edge – NDRE) and a Minolta SPAD 502 chlorophyll meter were
tested to determine ability to measure N sufficiency.
Increasing nitrogen rates (N)
increased grain yield, chlorophyll meter readings and grain protein. Normalized Difference Red Edge values
increased (estimates red edge color level and bio-mass) with increasing N rate,
except on August 4. Chlorophyll meter
readings and NDRE values were very well correlated (r = 0.91). The relationship between the percent of
maximum NDRE values and return $ to N in late July, averaged from 2010 to 2011,
is shown in (Fig. 1). The relationship between the percent of
maximum NDRE values and fertilizer N rate in late July, averaged from 2010 to
2011 is shown in (Fig. 2).
Strip-till corn on soybean Table
Material and methods Index
Oakes Irrigation Research Site
Strip-Till, Soybean on Corn Study
W. Albus, L. Besemann and H. Eslinger
|
Soil: |
Embden sandy loam, Hecla sandy loam
and Maddock sandy loam; pH=7.1; 2.1 % organic matter; soil-N average 7
lbs/ac; soil‑P was very high; soil-K was high; soil-S was low. |
|
Previous crop: |
2010 – field
corn. |
|
Seedbed Preparation: |
Strip-till May 16 with an Orthman strip-till
machine. |
|
Hybrid: |
Pioneer 91Y60. |
|
Planting: |
Planted May 18 @ 205,000 plants
per acre in 30 inch rows. |
|
Plots: |
Plots were 37 ft long by 15 ft
(6 rows) wide. There were four reps. |
|
Fertilizer: |
April 26 a broadcast application
of 157 lb K2O/ac as 0-0-60.
May 17 received 25 lb N/ac and
40 lb P2O5 and 18 lb S/ac as 10-34-0 and 15-0-0-20 via
strip-till. |
|
Irrigation: |
Overhead sprinkler irrigation
as needed. |
|
Pest control: |
Roundup Power Max (30 oz/ac) June
1 and June 27. Endura (11 oz/ac) July 11 and July 18. Mustang Max (4 oz/ac)
August 5. |
|
Harvest: |
October 3 with a 4400 JD combine (96 rows 74 feet long, recorded with a weigh wagon). |
All soybean plots were combine harvested and bulked. The soybeans yielded 60.7 bu/ac at 8.4% moisture and had a test weight of 56.1 lb/bu.
Material and methods Index
Oakes Irrigation Research Site
Optimum Corn Stover Removal for Biofuels and the
Environment
W. Albus, L. Besemann and H.
Eslinger
The 2007 US energy bill calls for 36 billion gallons of ethanol to
be produced by 2020. In 2007 the US
produced 6.5 billion gallons of ethanol.
If corn grain was able to supply 15 billion gallons of ethanol, 21
billion gallons ethanol would have to come from cellulosic material (biomass)
to meet the 2020 mandate. The production of 21 billion gallons of cellulosic
ethanol will require 350 million tons of dry biomass. Presently, perennial grasses and corn stover
are the most available. About 194
million tons of biomass is produced in US production agriculture annually, with
75 million tons coming from corn stover.
Figure 1 Shows that we were close to
the goal of 15 billion bushels of ethanol form corn. Therefore corn stover is being looked at to
play a major role in cellulosic ethanol production.
Before we commit ourselves to using corn stover for fuel we need
to study the environmental and economic consequences of this action. What effect will stover removal have on soil
organic matter, soil erosion and ultimately sustainability of the land
resource?
The objective of this study is to determine what rates of stover
removal within different cropping systems are conducive to maintaining and
possibly improving the productive capacity of the land while providing this
Country with a renewable energy source.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
|
Rotations: |
Block
I: 2011 – field corn, 2010 - field corn, 2009 - field corn, 2008 - field
corn. Block
II: 2011 – field corn, 2010 - soybean, 2009 - field corn, 2008 - soybean. Block
III: 2011 – soybean, 2010 - field corn, 2009 - soybean, 2008 - field corn. |
|
Soil: |
Embden sandy loam, Hecla sandy loam and Maddock sandy
loam. Block I: soil-N 3
lb/ac; soil-P and soil-K were very high; soil-S was very low. Block II: soil-N 3
lb/ac; soil-P and soil-K were very high; soil-S was low. Block III: soil-N
1 lb/ac; soil-P and soil-K were very high; soil-S was very low. |
|
Seedbed preparation: |
Strip-till May 17 with an Orthman
strip-till machine. |
|
Hybrid: Variety: |
Corn:
Pioneer P9630. Soybean:
Pioneer 91Y60. |
|
Planting: |
Block I: Planted
corn May 17 in 30-inch rows @ 33,000 seeds/ac. Block II: Planted
corn May 17 in 30-inch rows @ 33,000 seeds/ac. Block III: Planted
soybean May 18 in 30-inch rows @ 205,000 seeds/ac. |
|
Fertilizer: |
Block I: April
26, all plots received a broadcast application of 157 lbs K2O/ac
as 0-0-60. May 17, all plots received 12 lbs N/ac and 40 lbs P2O5
as 10-34-0, 13 lbs N/ac and 18 lbs S/ac as 15-0-0-20, and 40 lbs N/ac
as 28-0-0 via strip-till. June 23,
sidedress 155 lbs N/ac as 28-0-0. Block II: April
26, all plots received a broadcast application of 157 lbs K2O/ac
as 0-0-60. May 17, all plots received 12 lbs N/ac and 40 lbs P2O5
as 10-34-0, 13 lbs N/ac and 18 lbs S/ac as 15-0-0-20, and 40 lbs N/ac
as 28-0-0 via strip-till. June 23,
sidedress 115 lbs N/ac as 28-0-0. Block III: May 17, during strip-till operation, band
12 lbs N/ac and 40 lbs P2O5 as 10-34-0. |
|
Irrigation: |
Hand move sprinkler irrigation as needed. |
|
Pest Control: |
Block I: Harness
(1 pt/ac) + Lumax (1 pt/ac) + Atrazine (0.5 lb/ac) + Roundup Power Max (30
oz/ac) May 23 and Roundup Power Max (30 oz/ac) June 27. Block II: Harness
(1 pt/ac) + Lumax (1 pt/ac) + Atrazine (0.5 lb/ac) + Roundup Power Max (30
oz/ac) May 23 and Roundup Power Max (30 oz/ac) June 27. Block III: Roundup
Power Max (30 oz/ac) June 1 and June 27.
Endura (11 oz/ac) July 11 and July 18. Mustang Max (4 oz/ac)
August 5. |
|
Treatment |
Fall Harvest: corn stover was removed from Block I and
Block II on November 10 for the 2011 crop year according to the protocol
(0%, 33%, 66% and 100% removal). |
|
Remote
sensing: |
Remote sensing was achieved with a Minolta Spad 502 chlorophyll meter and a Holland Crop Circle ACS active canopy sensor
(normalized difference red edge – NDRE). |
|
Block I: Hand
harvested the entire length (27 feet) of rows 6 and 7 from each plot on
October 13; remainder harvested October 17 with Case IH 1640 using a 6 row
head. Block II: Hand
harvested the entire length (27 feet) of rows 6 and 7 from each plot on
October 13; remainder harvested October 17 with Case IH 1640 using a 6 row
head. Block III: October
3 with a 4400 JD combine (66 rows 106 feet long, recorded with a weigh
wagon). |
RESULTS BLOCK I (Corn/Corn)-2011
Corn stover was removed at the 33, 67
and 100 percent removal rates in block I (corn/corn rotation). Stover removal had a significant effect on
grain yield, moisture and test weight.
Stover removal had no effect on, chlorophyll readings (Spad 502),
Normalized Difference Red Edge indice (Holland Crop
Circle ACS 430) and stalk nitrate-N (Table 1). Figure 2
shows what happens to the revenue for the higher yield of the 100 percent
removal rate compared to the 0 percent removal rate when the cost of N, P and K
are accounted for. The 0 removal plots
averaged $25/ac more revenue from 2008 to 2011 than the 100 percent
removal plots even when the 2008 year is included (corn stover was spread in a
thick mat in 2008).
RESULTS BLOCK II (Corn/Soybean)-2011
Stover removal had no effect on grain
yield, moisture, NDRE indice and chlorophyll meter
reading. The cost of nutrient removal at
the 33, 67 and 100 percent removal rates was $40, $79 and $132 per acre,
respectively, or about $29/ton.
RESULTS BLOCK III (Soybean/Corn)-2011
All soybean plots were combine harvested
and bulked. The soybeans yielded 61.3 bu/ac at 8.1% moisture and had a test weight of 54.1 lb/bu.
Optimum corn stover removal: Table 1 (Corn on corn),
Table 2. (Corn on soybean)
Material and methods Index
Oakes Irrigation Research Site