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Nutrient Sufficiency Ranges for Corn at the Early Growth Stage: Implications for Nutrient Management
Solomon Amissah1, Godfred Ankomah1, Benjamin K Agyei1,2
1Department of Crop & Soil Sciences, University of Georgia, Tifton, GA 31793, USA.
Nutrient sufficiency ranges (NSRs) for corn are not always reliable for early growth stage nutrient management. Studies show many samples meeting NSRs had poor biomass, while some failing NSRs performed well.
Area of Science:
- Agricultural Science
- Plant Nutrition
- Agronomy
Background:
- Growers use nutrient sufficiency ranges (NSRs) from plant tissue analysis for corn nutrient management.
- NSRs are often based on multi-location surveys, potentially confounded by environmental factors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To validate the lower thresholds of NSRs for early-stage corn (Zea mays).
- To assess the reliability of current NSRs under field conditions.
Main Methods:
- Field studies conducted over three years (2020-2022) with varied nutrient application rates.
- Induced different nutritional levels in corn to test NSR validity.
- Compared biomass accumulation in relation to NSR compliance.
Main Results:
- NSRs were found to be invalid under the tested conditions.
- 47.6% of samples met all lower NSR thresholds, yet 25.4% had <50% relative biomass.
- 9.6% of samples below P and Cu thresholds showed ≥75% relative biomass.
Conclusions:
- Corn's sensitivity to nutrient imbalance necessitates optimized early-stage diagnostic methods.
- Current NSRs may require re-evaluation for accurate early growth stage nutrient management.
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