WinField is releasing data to help farmers get their best return on nitrogen investments. The 2015 Answer Plot Program results showed a positive yield response to split-season and late-season N applications.
To help farmers identify the best way to optimize N use by corn, researchers compared the results of three different application scenarios: 1) applying their total N allotment at planting; 2) applying two-thirds of the N at planting and one-third at V10; and 3) applying their total amount of N at planting, followed by additional N at VT. Both split applications were made with the 360 Y-DROP™ applicator for precise placement at the stalk base.*
When compared to the total N application at planting, trial results showed average yield increases of 9.4 bushels per acre with the split application at planting/V10, and 11.2 bushels per acre with the total N application at planting followed by additional N at VT. By making the second applications at V10 and VT, plants received an N boost during the crucial V10 to R2 growth stage, when corn needs 50 percent of its total nitrogen.
“Our N trial not only demonstrates the importance of feeding the crop at the right time, it also showcases how advanced applicator technology can help get the most benefit from each application,” says Kevin Eye, vice president, agronomy and product development, WinField US. “These results verify that how we allocate inputs can have a big impact on bottom-line profits as well as the environmental costs of applying excess N.”
“To help farmers weather ongoing low commodity prices, we continue to focus our research on areas that will help farmers understand that prosperity in today’s market doesn’t necessarily come from spending less – it comes from spending smarter,” Eye notes. “As we evaluate new products and tools, we share objective, data-based insights that can help farmers be successful next season and beyond.”
The 2015 trials also covered response to fungicide, soybean seed blends for optimal performance in diverse environments and timely applications of copper on wheat. This is the 18th year WinField has conducted the Answer Plot Program, with trials in 32 states at 191 locations and more than 5 million data points.
For more information about Answer Plot® Program results visit www.answerplot.com or contact your WinField agronomist for more details.