Corn Nitrogen Research in Michigan
A summary of three years of on-farm research on nitrogen rate response in Michigan’s Thumb region has recently been published. The researcher reports that the optimum nitrogen rate was 215 pounds of nitrogen per acre (split between starter nitrogen and pre-plant applied anhydrous ammonia) to achieve maximum yield (around 256 bushels per acre). Maximum economic return was achieved when the rate of nitrogen was 203 pounds per acre (using their economic assumptions of $3.75 per bushel of corn and $0.265 per pound of nitrogen).
This research is a good illustration of just how well today’s modern hybrids utilize nitrogen. In the context of this study, each bushel of yield was achieved with just 0.84 pounds of nitrogen. Considerably lower than the decades old assumption of 1.2 pounds of nitrogen required to produce a bushel of corn grain.
Read more in the Michigan State summary.
