1.  Corn Grain Yield and Early Nutrient Uptake as Affected by In-Furrow Application of Potassium Fluid Fertilizer.
Dr. Antonio Mallarino, Iowa State University

The overall goal of this study beginning in the fall of 2006 is to conduct on-farm research and demonstrations of the value of small amounts of fluid fertilizers applied with corn planters. Specific objectives include assessment of corn grain yield, early growth and early nutrient uptake responses to in-furrow application of fluid K starter fertilizer; to compare corn responses to starter K fertilizer with and without a higher broadcast fertilizer rates applied for corn; and to conduct outreach work to explain the value of fluid fertilizers applied with the planter. At least 3 on-farm, replicated strip trials will be established each year on Iowa farmers fields varying in soil test K values and soil types. Four treatments will be included in each trial including a no K control, starter K, broadcast K and broadcast + starter K.  Nitrogen and phosphorus will be held constant on all strips. Studies will include no-till or chisel/disk tillage systems. 

2.  Phosphorus Source Effects on Dryland Winter Wheat in Eastern Washington.
Dr. Rich Koenig, Washington State University

The objectives of this project are to 1) More fully evaluate the effect of fluid and dry sources of P on dryland winter wheat grain yield and dry matter accumulation and 2) Assess the phytoavailability of fluid and dry P fertilizer sources using soil and plant tissue test indices of P availability. Recent research by the project researcher demonstrated a 10 bu/a yield response to 20 lb P2O5 per acre of fluid P deep banded with N (unpublished data). Additionally, grain yield with 11-52-0 was similar to the zero P control and less than when fluid 11-37-0 was utilized. Four sites with varying expected rainfall amounts will be selected.

3.  Ecological Intensification of Corn-Based Cropping Systems.
Dr. Dan Walters, University of Nebraska

The goals of this project are to build on the knowledge gained from prior years funding and to communicate the need of ecological intensification to various agricultural industry professionals and others. Specifically, project objectives for the next two years include, 1) To further improve the Hybrid-Maize software by further integrating nutrient and irrigation management, 2) To complete development of new Soybean simulation model, 3) To quantify long-term soil N and C relations at varying levels of cropping intensity, 4) To calculate system input/output budgets for nutrients, carbon, energy and green house warming potential, 5) To quantify nitrogen fixation dynamics for soybeans grown under high yield conditions and 6) To assess the general performance of controlled release N fertilizers for high yielding corn and soybean crops.

4.  Predicting the Likelihood of Response of Spring Wheat to In-Crop Applications of UAN.
Dr. Cynthia Grant, AAFC, Brandon Research Centre

While the use of split N applications for wheat production may allow producers to more closely match N application rates to wheat N demand and reduce potential N loss, there are drawbacks and risks associated with split N applications. The goal of this project is to determine, 1) The economic benefits/risks of dribble banded UAN applications as compared to traditional N application or controlled release urea (CRU), 2) The effect of microclimate on the relative response to split N applications, 3) The impact of seeding date on wheat response to in-crop UAN applications and 4) The ability of various methods of determination of crop N status to predict an economic response to in-crop N applications. Research will be conducted at two locations on an upper slope and lower slope location. Two seeding rates will be used for each location/slope site.

5.  Enhancing Continuous Corn Production Under High Residue Conditions with Starter Fluid Fertilizer Combinations and Placement.
Dr. Gyles Randall, University of Minnesota

With the development of the bio-fuel industry in which corn grain is the primary feedstock for ethanol production, the corn:soybean acre ratio is likely to increase as compared to the historical 50:50 corn:soybean ratio in the upper corn belt. With this change, questions about the impact of increased surface residue for second year corn on nutrient availability are being asked. The objectives of this project are to 1) Determine the effects of fluid starter fertilizer combinations and placement of 10-34-0 and 28-0-0 on second-year corn production under reduced tillage/high-residue conditions and 2) Provide management guidelines on placement and rates of UAN and liquid APP combined as a starter for crop consultants, local advisors and the fertilizer industry.

6.  Fluid Fertilizer’s Role in Sustaining Soils Used for Bio-fuels Production. 
Dr. John Kovar, USDA-ARS National Soil Tilth Laboratory, Iowa State University.

Growing crops for bio-fuel has attracted the attention of many producers and both corn grain and stover are being evaluated as potential feed stocks. There are several potential short and long-term issues involving the removal of corn stover in high residue production systems, including crop nutrient cycling and crop removal. This project focuses on potassium and sulfur and is targeted at two objectives: 1) Evaluate the use of surface or subsurface bands of NPKS fluid fertilizers to optimize positional and temporal availability in order to enhance corn grain and biomass productivity, and 2) To compare the performance characteristics of ammonium sulfate and ammonium thiosulfate as a sulfur source for corn in these systems.

7.  Validating Post-Emeregent N Application Algorithms for the GreenSeeker Optical Sensor in Cereals and Canola using UAN.
Dr. Guy Lafond

In order to increase the flexibility of N applications it is important to understand post-seeding applications of UAN, understand the risks associated with post-seeding types of practices and find ways to reduce the risks for the producer while ensuring flexibility in N management. Previous research, funded in part by the Fluid Fertilizer Foundation, showed that if a minimum of 50% of the target N rate is applied at seeding, the risks of post-emergent N applications reducing yields can be reduced to very low levels for spring wheat and canola. The objectives of the current research are to validate the previously developed N application algorithms for spring wheat, winter wheat, durum, oats, malting barley and canola.

8.  Increasing Root Mass and Yield in Corn Through the Use of Fertilizer Additives.
Dr. Ronnie Heiniger, North Carolina State University.

Research in North Carolina has shown that plant populations of 30,000 - 34,000 plants per acre, or greater, are needed to reach maximum yield. However, high plant populations are often accompanied by poor stalk strength and reduction in root depth and mass. Comparative research at Kansas State University has shown that fertilizer additives such as Avail® and Nutrisphere® can improve yield. These materials could enhance the efficiency of starter fertilizer in the southeast U.S. resulting in larger root systems, better stalk strength, improved stress tolerance and increased corn yield. The objectives of this project are; 1) To examine the impact of the fertilizer additives Avail and Nutrisphere on root development, stalk strength, and yield in high population corn systems, 2) To determine optimum placement and rates for starter fertilizer using the additives Avail and Nutrisphere in enhancing root development and stalk strength and to identify the effects of soil factors (pH, temperature, soil moisture) on the efficacy of fertilizer additives in increasing root mass and corn yield.

9.  Increasing Late Season N Availability for Soybeans.
Dr. Ricardo Melgar

Despite the fact that soybeans are a legume crop, prior research has sometimes demonstrated an economic benefit to N fertilization of soybeans. In the Pampean region of Argentina, there have been some small but consistent responses to N applied as readily available N sources at the R1 stage of soybean development. The objectives of this project are to study the potential increase grain yields through late N availability to high yielding potential soybeans by improving placement/product combinations of fluid N sources. Fluid sources include Nitamin®, Nitamin Nfusion® and urea solution (22% N) with and without Agrotain®.

10.  Comparison of the Nitrogen Use Efficiency and Nitrogen Needs of Corn Hybrids With and Without Corn Rootworm Resistance.
Dr. Carrie Laboski, University of Wisconsin

Currently, there is no record in published literature focusing on N use efficiency and N need for corn rootworm resistant vs. non-resistant hybrids. Also, corn yields have increased over time because of improved genetics and agronomists and farmers question if current N rate guidelines are adequate to produce these increased yields. The objectives of this project are to, 1) Determine if corn hybrids with the corn rootworm resistant gene vary in their N use efficiency and N need compared to non-resistant hybrids, and 2) To obtain additional N response information to add to Wisconsin’s database upon which corn N rate recommendation are made.

11.  Manganese Nutrition of Glyphosate-Resistant Corn.
Dr. Barney Gordon, Kansas State University

Recently it has been found that glyphospate-resistant soybeans may not be as efficient in manganese metabolism as non-tolerant conventional varieties (Huber, 2004). In research done in Kansas, Gordon (2007) found that application of MnSO4 fertilizer increased tissue Mn concentration and yield of soybean glyphosate-resistant soybean but not in conventional soybean. Huber (2007) reports that glyphosate resistance in genetically modified corn and soybean reduces the efficiency of Mn uptake and physiological efficiency 10-50%, depending on the genetic nutrient uptake efficiency of the particular transformed variety or hybrid. Although some work with glyphosate-resistance soybean has been done, little information is available for herbicide resistant corn hybrids. The objective of this project is to determine if glyphosate-resistant corn hybrids respond differently to applied manganese than conventional corn and if so to develop fertilization strategies that will prevent or correct deficiencies.

12.  Nutrient Removal By Major Vegetable Crops In Texas.
Dr. John Jifon, Texas A & M University

Soil nutrient depletion through crop removal is a major limitation to sustainable production especially for horticultural crops which tend to have high fertilizer input requirements. In the long‐term, a balance between nutrient inputs and crop removal is required. Although nutrient removal values for many field crops are available, such values for fruitand vegetable crops are rare. Knowledge of nutrient removal amounts is critical in developing fertilizer management practices to sustain yields and quality while maintaining soil fertility. This long‐term project will quantify the nutrient uptake/accumulation and removal rates of diverse commercial vegetable crops inrelation to different yield levels and soil types.

13.  Holistic Approach to Nitrogen and Water Management using Site-Specific Management Zones and Active Remote Sensing for Enhancing Crop Yield, Ethanol and Bio-Fuel Productivity.
Dr. Raj Khosla, Colorado State University

Water in the western Great Plains is increasingly becoming a precious commodity. This has created a new realm of challenges in agriculture. Recent focus is on “limited irrigation” or “irrigating crops only at critical crop growth stages”. Such changes are happening at a time when crops are expected to be raised for meeting the food, feed, fiber and the “fuel” requirements of our society. There are six ethanol plants in Colorado alone that are at different stages of operation or construction. With recent commodity and input price volatility reaching all time highs, there is no room for waste. Concern for enhanced efficiency, productivity, economics and the environment are at an all time high and fluid fertilizers offer considerable advantage in this regard. This research will investigate best management practices such as Site-Specific Management Zones, and Active Remote-Sensing for N management at different levels of water and nitrogen to determine the economic optimum level for crop yield, ethanol and bio-fuel productivity under field conditions. The goals are to enhance nitrogen and water use efficiencies, crop yield, ethanol and bio-fuel productivity, and net return.

14.  Effective Manganese Management for Corn and Soybean in Glyphosate-Dominant Cropping Systems
Dr. Tony Vyn, Purdue University

Recent soybean research in Indiana and other states have confirmed that one of the most limiting factors to the achievement of high yields in Roundup Ready® seeding systems is a suspected micronutrient deficiency resulting from applications of glyphosate (Roundup®) to soil, weeds, and directly to glyphosate-resistant soybean. Manganese (Mn) concentrations in soybean plants are frequently lower than optimum, particularly in the week or two following post-emergence glyphosate application, because glyphosate reduces the uptake and translocation of Mn via physiological immobilization of Mn in plants, and because glyphosate is toxic to soil microbes that reduce soil Mn into a form that is available for plant uptake.  The development of RR varieties may also have indirectly lowered Mn uptake efficiencies, and made these varieties more responsive to supplemental Mn than their non-RR counterparts. Glyphosate exuded by roots of resistant soybean plants, as well as by weeds surrounding the soybean plants, is particularly likely to immobilize available Mn in the rhizosphere of soybean roots. Both root Mn uptake, and translocation of Mn to the shoot, are lower when glyphosate residues are present in soil. Soil moisture and pH also affect the relative availability of soil Mn. In this research, we intend to determine the consequences, if any, of cumulative glyhosate applications in RR corn followed by RR soybean on (a) corn yields and tissue Mn concentrations at various stages, and on (b) trifoliate leaf Mn concentrations and yield of RR soybean following various intensities of glyphosate applications over years. Additionally, the long-term goals of this research over the next 3 years are to improve the management of micronutrients such as Mn to help achieve the highest corn and soybean yields possible in cropping systems that are ever more reliant on glyphosate for weed control. 

15.  The Effect of Soil Moisture on Residual Fluid and Granular Phosphorus Availability.
Dr. Mike McLaughlin, University of Adelaide

Our recent research has shown that movement of soil water in and around granules can have a marked influence on chemical reactions which control fertilizer effectiveness. When a fertilizer granule is placed in moist soil, it draws soil water towards it and also draws solutes in the soil water into the granule. In a calcareous soil this enhances precipitation of Ca-Phosphate compounds in and around the granule, which reduces granular fertilizer effectiveness markedly. We have discovered this is one of the reasons why delivery (into soil) of exactly the same fertilizer formulation in fluid form can enhance fertilizer efficiency markedly compared to granular products. It is therefore evident that changes in soil water status could markedly affect the reactions occurring in and around fertilizer granules in soil, a phenomenon not well reproduced in most laboratory experiments when nutrients are uniformly mixed throughout the soil. Thus key phenomena that control fertilizer P reactions in soil have not been adequately investigated and characterized.

In addition to a lack of information on the effects of soil moisture status on fertilizer reaction products adjacent to fertilizer granules, or in fluid fertilized zones of soil, there is also a lack of information on the influence of soil moisture conditions on the release of stored soil nutrients. Given that soil reactions which affect fertilizer efficiency (e.g. dissolution, adsorption and/or fixation) can occur quite rapidly after addition of fertilizer to soil, the residual value of fertilizer nutrients and the efficiency of currently applied fertilizer could both be largely influenced by soil water status. We hope to expand on our initial data by extending our testing of the effect of soil moisture on residual nutrient value by separating the period of soil: fertilizer contact from the period of plant growth. This time we will ensure that the period of soil: fertilizer contact has varying soil moisture conditions and the period of plant growth has constant moisture conditions, and we will test this relationship on a range of agricultural soils.

16.  Nitrogen Management For Hybrid Bermudagrass Sod Production.
Dr. Elizabeth Guertal, Auburn University

In sod production, the application of N fertilizers is a balancing act between adding sufficient N to push the crop towards timely harvest, and then sustaining regrowth until the next harvest. Unlike a grain crop, which is harvested in a certain time window, with the grain then stored off-site, sod is 'stored' in the field until the market creates a need to harvest. Thus, N fertilizer is often applied for both agronomic and market needs. A typical N fertilization schedule for Bermuda grass re-establishment is to apply from 4 to 6 lbs N/1,000 sq. ft (175 - 260 lb N/A) during the months when the grass is actively growing. Consultation with local sod producers revealed the following typical N fertilization plan for their sod crops: 1 lb N/1,000 sq. ft (44 lb N/A) in April and May, with a late May/early June harvest to follow, 1 lb N in June, after harvest, and 1 lb N in August. That is a total of 4 lb N/1,000 sq. feet for the growing year, with a harvest in the following spring, after winter dormancy. Others plan to push the sod with additional summer N, allowing the crop to be harvested in the fall. Thus, fertilization issues in sod production include both N rate and N source questions, but the question of N timing also needs to be answered. This is especially true in warm-season grass production, as fall dormancy and spring greenup affect harvest time and N fertilization. While sod production research has largely centered on weed control, there is little fertilizer research. Thus, the objective of this research is to examine various N fertilizer programs (N source, rate and timing) to determine the best program for production and maintenance of hybrid Bermuda grass destined for harvest as a sod crop.