Soybean Growth Response to Low Rates of Nitrogen Applied at Planting in the Northern Great Plains

ABSTRACT

Cool and wet soils at the time of soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merrill] planting in the northern Great Plains may reduce early crop growth and retard nitrogen (N) fixation. Application of N as starter fertilizer may increase initial growth of soybean, but may also negatively impact N fixation when environmental conditions improve. The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of low rates of N applied at planting on soybean N fixation and crop growth in the northern Great Plains. A field experiment (2000–2002) was established within a two-year corn [Zea mays (L.)] soybean rotation using a split-plot design with four replications. Whole plots were no-tillage (NT) and conventional tillage (CT) and the split plots were starter fertilizer (two sources × four rates) treatments. Nitrogen sources were either ammonium nitrate (AN) or urea (UR) each applied at 0, 8, 16, and 24 kg N ha⁻¹. Biomass in both 2000 and 2001 growing seasons increased significantly with increasing N rate at both growth stages (R1 and R7) and at the R1 stage in 2002. Ureide concentration and relative ureide decreased with increasing N rate at the R1 stage in all years, indicating a decrease in N fixation up to that point in crop development. This decrease in N fixation was not present at the R7 stage, but the significant increase in plant growth including yield was still present, indicating possibly that starter fertilizer can positively impact soybean production in the cool environmental conditions of the northern Great Plains. However, the positive impact on plant growth and yield is dependent on in-season environmental conditions and time of planting.

Keywords:

• soybean
• nitrogen nutrition
• relative ureide
• biomass
• starter fertilizer
• nitrogen fixation

Notes

†Conventional tillage treatment.

‡Performed the previous fall.

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