|
|
||||||||
Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, Cornell Univ., Ithaca, NY 14853
* Corresponding author (jhk42{at}cornell.edu)
Received for publication August 20, 2005. The presidedress nitrate test (PSNT) is currently the best tool available for Northeastern producers to determine if corn (Zea mays L.) will benefit from sidedress N. The PSNT requires 0- to 30-cm soil samples, which can be difficult to obtain on stony soils, and samples need to be taken in late-spring, an inopportune time for dairy (Bos taurus) farmers. Additionally, the in-season nature of the PSNT prevents its use by producers who apply preplant broadcast N. The Illinois soil N test (ISNT) is a simple test that estimates a potentially mineralizable fraction of soil organic N, amino sugar N. The test was able to identify sites that are nonresponsive to sidedress N fertilization in Illinois. From 2002 to 2004, 33 field trials were conducted to assess the effectiveness of the ISNT as compared with the PSNT in New York. Results confirmed the ability of the PSNT to separate responsive from nonresponsive corn sites. The ISNT was not an effective predictor by itself. However, when ISNT results and soil organic matter (OM) were considered, critical values could be developed that separated fields that were responsive to sidedress N from nonresponsive sites for corn silage dry matter yield, N concentration, N uptake, and estimated milk yield (kg of milk per ha predicted based on yield and quality of the silage). Further evaluation of the ISNT with consideration for OM could improve the accessibility of soil N testing to corn producers who apply N as sidedress as well as those who fertilize with preplant broadcast applications in the Northeast.
Abbreviations: CP, crude protein ISNT, Illinois soil N test IVTD, in vitro true digestibility NDF, neutral detergent fiber NIR, near infrared reflectance OM, organic matter PSNT, presidedress nitrate test RY, relative yield
This article has been cited by other articles:
![]() |
C. A. M. Laboski, J. E. Sawyer, D. T. Walters, L. G. Bundy, R. G. Hoeft, G. W. Randall, and T. W. Andraski Evaluation of the Illinois Soil Nitrogen Test in the North Central Region of the United States Agron. J., June 16, 2008; 100(4): 1070 - 1076. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
J. T. Spargo and M. M. Alley Modification of the Illinois Soil Nitrogen Test to Improve Measurement Precision and Increase Sample Throughput Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J., May 1, 2008; 72(3): 823 - 829. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
J. T. Osterhaus, L. G. Bundy, and T. W. Andraski Evaluation of the Illinois Soil Nitrogen Test for Predicting Corn Nitrogen Needs Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J., January 11, 2008; 72(1): 143 - 150. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
S. A. Khan, R. L. Mulvaney, T. R. Ellsworth, and C. W. Boast The Myth of Nitrogen Fertilization for Soil Carbon Sequestration J. Environ. Qual., October 24, 2007; 36(6): 1821 - 1832. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
J. D. Williams, C. R. Crozier, J. G. White, R. W. Heiniger, R. P. Sripada, and D. A. Crouse Illinois Soil Nitrogen Test Predicts Southeastern U.S. Corn Economic Optimum Nitrogen Rates Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J., April 5, 2007; 71(3): 735 - 744. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
R. L. Mulvaney, S. A. Khan, and T. R. Ellsworth Response to "Comments on 'Need for a Soil-based Approach in Managing Nitrogen Fertilizers for Profitable Corn Production' and 'Soil Organic Nitrogen Enrichment Following Soybean in an Iowa Corn-Soybean Rotation'" Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J., January 1, 2007; 71(1): 256 - 256. [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
| HOME | HELP | FEEDBACK | SUBSCRIPTIONS | ARCHIVE | SEARCH | TABLE OF CONTENTS |
| The SCI Journals | Crop Science | Vadose Zone Journal | |||
| Journal of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Education |
Soil Science Society of America Journal | ||||
| Journal of Plant Registrations | Journal of Environmental Quality |
The Plant Genome | |||