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Fertility key to higher corn yields

A professor of crop physiology at the University of Illinois says fertility is the key to higher corn yields.

Dr. Fred Below says proper crop nutrition is vital.

“If there’s anything that I think is out of date compared to the yield potential of modern corn hybrids, it’s how we fertilize them.”  He says, “How can we make fertilizer nutrients more efficient?”

He tells Brownfield research shows spring applied fertilizer benefits the environment and the bottom line.

“Clearly, we see that if we can better time when we apply that fertilizer to the crop to coincide with that period of peak uptake, that’s the real key and there’s a huge opportunity to increase the efficiency.”  He says, “And as a result, the yield.”

Below says they’re also seeing increased nutrient uptake using a variety of biologicals.

“The nitrogen fixing bacteria market drives it.”  He says, “Next in line would be phosphate solubilizing bacteria. We also see that phosphorus solubilizing bacteria paired with phosphate fertilizer actually helps keep it available. But these are only two of the eight categories that we’re looking at.”

He says farmers taking steps to better utilize nutrients are seeing the results in the field and in their financials.

More information on the research can be found HERE.

AUDIO: Dr. Fred Below – University of Illinois