Corn South March 2021 by One Grower Publishing

Nutrient Management

CornSouth ONE GROWER PUBLISHING, LLC

Southern Production & Marketing Strategies

A Supplement to Cotton Farming and The Peanut Grower Magazines

March 2021

CornSouth A Reason To Try New Things The University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture has demonstrated water management practices on cooperator farms for five years. The Arkansas irrigation yield contest tests the knowledge Amanda Huber and ability of growEditor ers to produce the “Most Crop Per Drop.” Together, these efforts have shown that when applied effectively, water use can be reduced by 24% on average with no yield penalty. Chad Render, who farms south of Pine Bluff, got the most crop per crop in corn in 2020, achieving 11.5 bushels per inch and 225 bushels per acre. He used Delta Plastics’ Pipe Planner, Watermark sensors and cover crops, which all aid in conservation efforts. He also benefited from early rains in April and May. “It makes us want to try new things,” Render says of the contest. “I’ve used cover crops for about the past three years on certain soils that just seem to get hot during the growing season, so I’m actually broadening my cover crop areas. I am an advocate for cover crops and what it does to conserve moisture and hold down the weed pressure. From my personal experiences, I’m seeing benefit from less water and more yield.” The contest promotes the adoption of irrigation water management practices to reduce energy, water use and labor, and to improve profitability. However, nothing says you can’t try new things without the framework of a contest. Your challenge is always to reduce energy and water use, and your reward, too, is increased yield and better profitability.

Covering Southern Corn Production CornSouth is a supplement to the Mid-South and Southeast versions of Cotton Farming magazine and to The Peanut Grower magazine for producers in Florida, Georgia, Alabama and Mississippi. To receive CornSouth, visit www.CornSouth.com and click on “Subscribe to CornSouth.”

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MARCH 2021

Economic Outlook

2021 Corn Market Forecast

t the University of Georgia’s Ag Forecast, Extension economist Amanda Smith offered the peanut, corn and soybean update. The following is what she says about the corn market. “The United States planted 90.8 million acres in 2020 and is projected to have harvested 82.5 million acres, which is slightly more than what was planted and harvested in 2019. The U.S. yield is projected at 172 bushels per acre, up almost 3% from the 2019 crop year. With that, the U.S. is projecting a 14.2 billion-bushel crop, up 4.1%.” Smith says the COVID-19 pandemic prevented the full implementation of the Phase One trade deal with China and caused reductions in corn use for ethanol as fuel demand dropped. Further, demand for corn used in feed decreased as ranchers were forced to reduce their livestock numbers due to closures in the meat processing sector. However, she says the latter part of the 2020 saw a turnaround in demand and price. “There was a global supply gap, which resulted from a big drop in production from Ukraine because of severe drought in that region. Also, China began making commitments to purchase large quantities of U.S. corn and soybeans as they continue to rebuild their swine industry. As a result, we are seeing lower U.S. and global ending stocks and higher prices. “Total world production is expected at a record high of 44 billion bushels of corn in 2020-2021 crop year. Despite high production numbers for corn, we are also seeing consumption trends on the rise. Because of this, the world does not necessarily have an over-abundant supply of corn. Right now, we have an estimated supply of 92 days of use, just about three months. If China is removed from this figure, there is a 42-day supply. That is just a month and a half. The United States has an estimated 51 days of use on hand,” Smith says. In her report, the big story is exports. U.S. Department of Agriculture is forecasting a record 2.55 billion bushels of exports. “This is 43% higher than last year. Shipments to China account for 80% of the increase as they rebuild their pork industry after recovering from the African swine fever. With this increase in corn disappearance,

2021 Corn Outlook • U.S. planted acres expected down to 90 million. • Food use steady; feed use down. • Ethanol use near 5 billion bushels. • Exports up and strong on increased trade with China. • Ending stocks lower; prices higher. • U.S. season average farm price $4.20/bu. • Georgia season average farm price $4.85/bu.

Reasons For Row-Crop Price Surge: • Projected economic growth in the U.S. and globally. • Depreciation of the U.S. dollar. • Stimulus relief packages. • Increased purchases by China.

Row-Crop Comparison Tool Do a side-by-side comparison of expected net returns for cotton, peanuts, corn, soybeans, wheat and grain sorghum with the University of Georgia’s row-crop comparison tool available for download at https://agecon.uga. edu/extension/budgets. ending stocks are the lowest on hand as in the past seven years. As ending stocks-touse goes down, price goes up. USDA is projecting a season-average price of $4.20 per bushel. This is up more than 60 cents per bushel over the past year. If ending stocks fall further, to below 10%, we are likely to see season-average prices increase again.” Besides exports, Smith offers these projections for other demand segments. “Consumer use for food, seed and industrial is predicted to remain steady through this year. Feed use for livestock is projected down slightly because the price of corn is up. Ethanol demand is predicted to recover slightly from the pandemic drop in demand, but it will still be 655 million bushels less than its peak use for ethanol in the 2017-2018 marketing year.” CS

Send comments to Corn South, 875 W. Poplar Ave., Suite 23, Box 305, Collierville, TN 38017 or email Amanda Huber at ahuber@onegrower.com. CORNSOUTH.COM

Nutrient Management

Promote Growth And Productivity With Starter Fertilizer

tarter fertilizers are often part of a successful nutrient management strategy. As with any fertility program, implementation of starters requires attention to detail. Fertilizer burn may occur when fertilizers are applied with or near seed at planting. Many fertilizers are salts that dissolve into the respective ions in the soil water when applied. Think of table salt, NaCl, that dissolves into the respective positive and negative ions Na+ and Cl- in water. This salt dissolution creates a pressure difference that causes water to move from inside the plant roots to the surrounding soil. Plants may wilt, become blackened and die from the lack of water. This is called seed burn or fertilizer burn and may result in substantial stand loss. Proximity is the key to susceptibility. Issues are rarely seen with broadcast applications because the fertilizer is dispersed over a wide area. Likewise, starter fertilizer banded 2 inches over and 2 inches below is a method developed to avoid seedling contact, which rarely creates problems. However, low rates are also important to control issues with in-furrow or pop-up applications. No more than 10 pounds per acre of nitrogen and K2O combined should be applied in furrow. Highly soluble fertilizers with low salt indices should be used for this placement, such as ammonium polyphosphate (10-34-0) or orthophosphates. Retailers and consultants should be familiar with appropriate materials for these applications.

PHOTO BY ERICK LARSON

Avoid Fertilizer Burn

Avoid Ammonia Toxicity

Additional injury risk from some nitrogen fertilizers exists more so than is anticipated by salt content alone if ammonia is released when soil applied. It is toxic and can enter plant cells freely. Urea, UAN, ammonium thiosulfate and DAP present more ammonia-based problems than MAP, ammonium sulfate or ammonium nitrate. Ammonia production can be accelerated by higher soil pH, either in the bulk soil or via reactions in the vicinity of applied fertilizer.

Soil And Weather Conditions

Soil conditions are important for determining why injury may occur some years and not others. Crop injury is most likely when seedlings in sandy, low organic matter

Starter Fertilizer Small amounts of nitrogen and phosphorus are often used as a starter or “pop-up” fertilizer. The main advantage of starter fertilizer is better early season growth. Corn planted in early spring is exposed to cool soil temperatures, which may reduce phosphate uptake. Banding a starter fertilizer 2 inches to the side and 2 inches below the seed increases the chance of roots penetrating the fertilizer band and taking up needed nitrogen and phosphorus. Deduct the amount of nitrogen and phosphorus used in a starter fertilizer from the total nitrogen and phosphorus needed for the season. However, total phosphate requirements of the corn crop can often be supplied in the starter fertilizer. Since nu-

soils are directly exposed to fertilizer. Dry weather will intensify injury potential. Fertilizer salts are diluted by diffusion away from the band in moist soils, but little diffusion occurs in dry soils. The concentrated fertilizer leads to more burn risk. Low cation exchange capacity soils, those with coarse textures and low organic matter content, react less with the fertilizer than higher CEC soils (fine textured). Soil temperature is also part of the issue as roots grow slower in cold soils exposing them to the higher concentration of fertilizer longer. CS Article by Mississippi State University Extension soil specialist Larry Oldham and grain crops Extension state specialist Erick Larson.

trients applied in starter fertilizers are a part of the total fertilizer program, using this recommended practice is not that costly. Currently, the most popular starter fertilizer is ammonium polyphosphate (10-34-0). Monoammonium and diammonium phophates are equally effective. There is generally no advantage in using a complete fertilizer (NPK) as a starter since applying phosphate is the primary objective. There is an advantage to using additional N such as 28-0-0-5 particularly in sandy soils to encourage growth as soils warm. Depending on your needs, a typical pop-up application is 6 to 7 gallons each of 10-34-0 and 28-0-0-5. CS Source: University of Georgia Extension soil specialist Glen Harris from UGA’s Corn Production In Georgia guide.

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Nutrient Management

Evaluating Controlled-Release Fertilizer

orn is an important crop for Florida’s agriculture industry with nearly 100,000 acres annually. Producers, Extension agents and researchers are studying corn nitrogen fertilization programs and methods to improve fertilizer uptake efficiency, to increase profitability and to reduce impacts to water resources.

A drone photo of a replicated on-farm corn trial in Suwannee county testing various rates of controlled release fertilizer sources in spring 2020.

Projects on controlled-release sources of nitrogen in corn, watermelons and carrots are ongoing at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Science’s North Florida Research and Education Center, Suwannee Valley in Live Oak, Florida. The focus is to help producers evaluate different nutrient management strategies, increase the return on investment for fertilizer inputs, improve nutrient stewardship and decrease the impact on water resources. Researchers hope to gain a better understanding of the efficacy of implementing the 4R’s of nutrient stewardship — right rate of fertilizer, right placement, right source and right timing — simultaneously in corn production and other row crops.

How Does It Work?

Controlled-release fertilizers are typically applied once at the beginning of the crop season. Each fertilizer prill or granule is coated with a polymer-based material that protects the fertilizer and releases it over time. With this technology, the rate of release of the nutrients in the soil depends on temperature. The release rate also depends on the type and thickness of the coating. Release rate customizations by crop are manufactured based on projected growing season temperatures, crop growth cycle and crop needs. Most assume this type of technology is the same as a slow-release fertilizer, but that is not the case. Slow-release fertilizers typically break down nutrients based on moisture; however, with Florida’s unpredictable climate that is not a viable option. In comparison, split applications of conventional fertilizers require more trips across the field adding to labor and fuel costs. Although controlled-release fertilizers are more expensive at purchase, with fewer trips across the field, there is a potential to maintain or reduce overall cost. If reduced rates can be proven to consistently perform equal to conventional fertilizer programs, this technology may become more commonly adopted by

CORN SOUTH

MARCH 2021

PHOTO BY DE BROUGHTON, UF/IFAS

Why Controlled Release?

farmers, which could ultimately result in reduced nitrogen leaching.

Benefits of Controlled-Release Fertilizer

▶ Reduced Environmental Impact: A major long-term benefit of using controlledrelease fertilizer on crops is to the local environment. With this source, nutrients are released slowly and at a rate the plant can better use. The amount of nutrients lost through infiltration is thought to be much lower than through conventional water-soluble types of fertilizers. Nitrogen in the form of nitrate is very mobile in Florida’s sandy soils. With irrigation or heavy rainfall, the loss of nutrients is reduced compared to using water-soluble fertilizers, as the nutrient is bound within the coating of the fertilizer prill. Additionally, less water may be needed, which is usually drawn from a groundwater source, because a conventional practice is to apply liquid nitrogen through an overhead pivot while irrigating corn. ▶ Convenience: Another possible benefit of using controlled release is the peace of mind a producer receives in knowing the plants will receive the nutrients needed to grow a good crop, regardless of unexpected rainfall events. During times when corn has been rainfed continuously without the need for water, a grower using a water-soluble fertilizer must decide whether to fertilize plants and add excess water to the crop, or risk having a nutrient deficiency. Using the traditional soluble source depends on the irrigation system, and a water source to be delivered to the crop. A controlled-release source will continuously release fertilizer without the need for

irrigation, as increasing temperatures break down the polymer coating of each prill. This is designed to take place over a specific timeframe, customized to the growth needs of the specific crop it is applied to. There is potential for this fertilizer source is to be applied only once, unlike water-soluble fertilizers. ▶ Reduced Application Costs: Labor, fuel and equipment wear and tear are always a concern for growers. The incorporation of a controlled-release source can reduce labor costs by eliminating the need to mix and monitor water-soluble fertilizers. It also limits the need for expensive injection equipment or additional passes of broadcast spreaders through the field for those using a dry soluble product. This also eliminates the chance of improperly mixing a water-soluble fertilizer, which can cause excess nutrients to be applied unintentionally.

Controlled-Release Fertilizer Trials

To verify these advantages, controlled-release fertilizer research is ongoing. In addition to research trials at the North Florida REC, a regionwide effort is planned for on-farm evaluations across the region in 2021. Interested corn and watermelon growers have been sought for on-farm trials. Working with regional Extension agents and producers are Harrell’s Fertilizer, Pursell Agri-Tech, Mayo Fertilizer, the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, and the Suwannee River Water Management District. CS Article by De Broughton, Regional Specialized Agent, Row Crops, and Hailey Raulerson, Extension Assistant, UF/IFAS NFREC-Suwannee Valley. CORNSOUTH.COM