Agronomy and Crop Sciences Commons^™

Agricultural Bio-Stimulant Application To Enhance Phosphorus Availability In Grain Sorghum, A. Obour

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

This study was conducted to determine the effectiveness of AgZyme and SuperHume (both products of Ag Concepts Corp) application on phosphorus (P) uptake and utilization efficiency in grain sorghum. Treatments were a control, 30 lb P₂O₅/a, 20 oz/a AgZyme, 20 oz/a AgZyme + 30 lb P₂O₅/a, 20 oz/a AgZyme + 30 lb P₂O₅/a + 6 qt/a SuperHume, which were arranged in a randomized complete block design with four replications. Preliminary results in 2016 showed grain sorghum aboveground biomass, grain moisture content, and test weight were not affected by …

Long-Term Nitrogen And Phosphorus Fertilization Of Irrigated Grain Sorghum, A. Schlegel, H. D. Bond

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Long-term research shows that phosphorus (P) and nitrogen (N) fertilizer must be applied to optimize production of irrigated grain sorghum in western Kansas. In 2016, N applied alone increased yields 71 bu/a, whereas N and P applied together increased yields up to 93 bu/a. Averaged across the past 10 years, N and P fertilization increased sorghum yields up to 77 bu/a. Application of 80 lb/a N (with P) was sufficient to produce 89% of maximum yield in 2016 which is slightly less than the 10-yr average. Application of potassium (K) has had no effect on sorghum yield throughout the study …

Interaction Of Seeding And Nitrogen Rate On Grain Sorghum Yield In Southwest Kansas, A. J. Foster, A. Schlegel, J. D. Holman, I. A. Ciampitti, C. Thompson, D. Ruiz Diaz

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

This study compared drilled planted sorghum at four seeding rates to planted sorghum at three different nitrogen (N) fertility levels at two locations in southwest Kansas (Garden City and Tribune). At the Garden City location, no difference was observed in yield among the drilled seeded sorghum populations greater than 27,000 seeds/a compared to the standard planted sorghum (sorghum planted at 27,000 seeds/a with a planter at 30 in.-row spacing). At Tribune, there was no difference in yield between the drilled sorghum and the standard planted sorghum (sorghum planted at 40,000 seeds/a with a planter at 30 in.-row spacing) regardless of …

Impact Of Cover Crops And Phosphorus Fertilizer Management On Nutrient Cycling In No-Tillage Corn-Soybean Rotation, R. E. Carver, N. O. Nelson, D. S. Abel, K. Roozeboom, G. J. Kluitenberg, P. J. Tomlinson, J. R. Williams

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

The objective of this study was to quantify the effects of cover crops and different fertilizer management techniques on the amount of nutrients being removed and recycled in the soil system. This study was conducted at Ashland Bottoms, KS, from 2014-2016. A 2 × 3 factorial design with three replicates was utilized in this study. The fertilizer management treatments included a control of 0 lb/a P₂O₅, along with fall broadcast and spring injected applications of P₂O₅based on a build and maintain recommendation system. Results show that total uptake of K₂O …

Nitrogen And Phosphorus Application Effects On Pearl Millet Forage Yield And Nutritive Value, D. D. Serba, A. Obour

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

There is limited information on the nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) fertilizer requirement of pearl millet forage in dryland systems. Determination of optimum N and P rates for pearl millet forage production in dryland environments of the Great Plains will have economic advantage for farmers and ranchers growing pearl millet for forage. A field experiment was conducted in 2016 at the Agricultural Research Center-Hays, KS, to investigate N and P fertilizer application effects on forage yield and nutritive value of pearl millet. Factorial combinations of five levels of N (0, 30, 60, 90, and 120 lb/a) and three levels of …

Long-Term Nitrogen And Phosphorus Fertilization Of Irrigated Corn, A. Schlegel, H. D. Bond

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Long-term research shows that phosphorus (P) and nitrogen (N) fertilizer must be applied to optimize production of irrigated corn in western Kansas. In 2016, N applied alone increased yields 85 bu/a, whereas P applied alone increased yields only 12 bu/a. Nitrogen and P applied together increased yields up to 164 bu/a. This is 20 bu/a greater than the 10-year average, where N and P fertilization increased corn yields up to 144 bu/a. Application of 120 lb/a N (with highest P rate) produced about 94% of maximum yield in 2016, which is similar to the 10-year average. Application of 80 instead …

Long-Term Tillage And Nitrogen Fertilization Effects On Soil Surface Chemistry, A. Obour, J. D. Holman

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Long-term crop management practices can affect nutrient cycling and availability to crops. This study examined the long-term effects of nitrogen (N) fertilizer application (N rates of 0, 20, 40, and 60 lb N/a) and tillage intensity (conventional tillage (CT), reduced tillage (RT), and no-tillage (NT)) on soil phosphorus (P), micronutrients, and soil acidity in a dryland winter wheat (Triticum aestivumL.)–sorghum (Sorghum bicolorL.)–fallow cropping system. Results showed soil organic matter (SOM), iron (Fe), and zinc (Zn) concentrations were greater under NT compared to CT or RT. Similarly, NT ( 32 ppm) increased P accumulation in the upper …

Corn Grain Yield Trends From 2012 To 2016: A 26-Year Long-Term Experiment, J. Rivera-Zayas, Charles Rice

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Long-term research trials provide an understanding of long-term effects on crop production. This long-term research studied the effect of conventional tillage (CT) and no-tillage (NT) systems. Factors of this 22-year study of corn (Zea maysL.) production also included the application of nitrogen (N) in the forms of ammonium nitrate and manure at rates of 150 lb/N/a. Corn grain yield trends during 2012 to 2016 were affected by the interaction between N source and year (P<0.05). The interaction between tillage practices and N source and the overall interaction between the last 5 years did not yield performance (P>0.05). Under the studied conditions the 75 lb/N/a as N fertilizer or manure achieved high corn yields.

Biochar And Nitrogen Effects On Winter Wheat Growth, T. E. Zee, N. O. Nelson, G. Newdigger

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Biochar, a co-product of thermochemical bioenergy production, may be a valuable soil amendment, but little is known about its potential long-term effects on plant growth and soil fertility. In order to gain more information, this experiment was performed to see if the addition of biochar, in comparison to lime and fertilizer treatments, has the potential to return key nutrients back to the soil or increase crop yield. A field study to investigate the effects of biochar on plant growth was initiated in 2011 near St. John, KS. Treatments included biochar applied at 16.6 ton/a (biochar), lime and annual applications of …

Kansas Fertilizer Research 2017

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Reports on fertilizer and related topics from Kansas State University.

Palmer Amaranth (Amaranthus Palmeri) Suppression With Half Rates Of Dicamba And Atrazine With Increasing Sorghum (Sorghum Bicolor) Density And Nitrogen Rate, I. B. Cuvaca, R. Currie, A. J. Foster

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Palmer amaranth (PA) competition can result in severe yield loss in grain sorghum. Increasing sorghum density and nutrient supply could promote early/rapid canopy closure and therefore reduce the amount of light that could otherwise penetrate the canopy and promote PA growth in sorghum. A study was conducted at the Southwest Research-Extension Center near Garden City, KS, to determine if PA could be suppressed with dicamba and atrazine applied as PRE at half rates combined with increasing sorghum density (60,000, 90,000, and 120,000 seeds/a), and nitrogen rate (0, 100, 200 lb/a). Preliminary results indicate that increasing plant density and nitrogen rate …

Including Legumes In Bermudagrass Pastures, J. L. Moyer, L. W. Lomas

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Use of legumes in bermudagrass pastures did not affect summer cow gains in 2016. Forage availability was also similar where ladino clover was used in the Legume system compared with where Nitrogen (N) alone was used. Estimated forage crude protein (CP) was greater for the Legume than the Nitrogen system in early summer, but was similar by mid-summer.

Nitrogen, Phosphorus, And Potassium Fertilization For Newly Established Tall Fescue, D. W. Sweeney, J. L. Moyer, J. K. Farney

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Tall fescue production was studied during a third year at two locations. In 2015, Site 1 was affected by an interaction between nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) fertilization rates; while in 2016, Site 2 mainly received production differences by N fertilization rates. Potassium (K) fertilization caused little effect at both sites.

Third-year production of tall fescue was affected by an interaction between nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) fertilization rates at Site 1 in 2015, but mainly by N fertilization rates at Site 2 in 2016, with little effect from potassium (K) fertilization at either site.

Research Center Personnel, Acknowledgments, L. W. Lomas

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Research Center Personnel, Southeast Agricultural Research Center, Kansas

We thank the following individuals, organizations, and firms that contributed to this year’s research programs through financial support, product donations, or services.

Forage Report 2016, J. D. Holman, G. Cramer, A. Esser, Jane Lingenfelser, S. Maxwell, J. L. Moyer, A. Obour, T. Roberts

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

In 2016 summer annual forage variety trials were conducted across Kansas near Garden City, Hays, Hutchinson, Mound Valley, and Scandia. All sites evaluated hay and silage entries. Companies were able to enter varieties into any possible combinations of research sites, so not all sites had all varieties. Across the sites, a total of 99 hay varieties and 99 silage varieties were evaluated.

Alternative Cropping Systems With Limited Irrigation, A. Schlegel

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

A limited irrigation study involving four cropping systems and evaluating four crop rotations was initiated at the Southwest Research-Extension Center near Tribune, KS, in 2012. The cropping systems were two annual systems (continuous corn [C-C] and continuous grain sorghum [GS-GS]) and two 2-year systems (corn-grain sorghum [CGS]) and corn-winter wheat [C-W]). In 2016, corn yields were similar in all rotations, as were grain sorghum yields. This tended to agree with the 4-yr average yields, except for average grain sorghum yields being higher following corn than grain sorghum.

Armezon Pro, Status, Verdict, Glyphosate, Zidua, And Atrazine For Sequential Weed Control In Glyphosate-Resistant Corn, R. Currie, P. Geier

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

A study was initiated near Garden City, KS, in 2016, comparing the weed control of several herbicide treatments applied sequentially in irrigated corn. Kochia control was 95% or more with all treatments at 1 day after late postemergence application (1 DALP) and 100% regardless of treatment at 63 days after late postemergence application (63 DALP). Palmer amaranth and green foxtail control was 98 to 100% and 83 to 93%, respectively, with all preemergence treatments at 1 DALP. A second late postemergence application was needed to achieve 100% control of Palmer amaranth and green foxtail 63 DALP. The single early postemergence …

Sequential Weed Control Programs In Liberty Link Soybeans, D. E. Peterson, C. Thompson, C. L. Minihan

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

The development of glyphosate-resistant weeds has greatly complicated weed control in soybeans. Liberty Link soybeans provide growers an alternative herbicide option for postemergence weed control in soybeans. Liberty Link programs can provide effective weed control in a sequential weed-control program that includes effective preemergence residual herbicides at planting time followed by timely applications of Liberty.

Comparison Of Different Weed Control Technology Programs, D. E. Peterson, C. Thompson, C. L. Minihan

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

The development of glyphosate-resistant weeds has greatly complicated weed control in soybeans. Roundup Ready 2 Xtend and Liberty Link soybeans provide an alternative postemergence herbicide options for weed control in soybeans. Liberty Link and Roundup Ready 2 Xtend programs provided better overall weed control and slightly higher yields than Roundup Ready 2 Yield programs in this experiment. Yields of Roundup Ready 2 Yield soybeans were likely influenced by more weed competition and possibly crop injury from spray tank contamination by dicamba. Dicamba injury from tank contamination to Roundup Ready 2 Yield soybeans decreased with each subsequent treatment and also with …

Timing Of Side-Dress Applications Of Nitrogen For Corn In Conventional And No-Till Systems, D. W. Sweeney, D. E. Shoup

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Corn yields were affected by tillage and nitrogen (N) side-dress options in 2016. Corn yields were 12% greater with conventional tillage than with no-till. Side-dress applications of N at V10 resulted in greater corn yield than side-dress N applications at V6.

Large-Scale Dryland Cropping Systems, A. Schlegel, L. Haag

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

This study was conducted from 2008 to 2016 at the Kansas State University Southwest Research-Extension Center near Tribune, KS. The purpose of the study was to identify whether more intensive cropping systems can enhance and stabilize production in rainfed cropping systems to optimize economic crop production, more efficiently capture and utilize scarce precipitation, and maintain or enhance soil resources and environmental quality. The crop rotations evaluated were continuous grain sorghum (SS), wheat-fallow (WF), wheat-corn-fallow (WCF), wheat-sorghum-fallow (WSF), wheat-corn-sorghum-fallow (WCSF), and wheat-sorghum-corn-fallow (WSCF). All rotations were grown using no-tillage practices except for WF, which was grown using reduced-tillage. The efficiency of …

Tillage Intensity In A Long-Term Wheat-Sorghum-Fallow Rotation, A. Schlegel

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

This study was initiated in 1991 at the Kansas State University Southwest Research- Extension Center near Tribune, KS. The purpose of the study was to identify the effects of tillage intensity on precipitation capture, soil water storage, and grain yield in a wheat-sorghum-fallow rotation. Grain yields of wheat and grain sorghum increased with decreased tillage intensity in a wheat-sorghum-fallow (WSF) rotation. In 2016, available soil water at wheat and sorghum planting was greater for reduced tillage (RT) than no-tillage (NT) and least for conventional tillage (CT). Averaged across the 16-yr study, available soil water at wheat and sorghum planting was …

Preemergence And Post-Harvest Kochia Control In Wheat, R. Currie, P. Geier

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

A study was initiated near Garden City, KS, in 2016, comparing the weed control of several herbicide treatments applied preemergence and post-harvest for kochia control in wheat. Clarity (dicamba) with any premix partner applied preemergence provided less than 30% kochia control at evaluations conducted on July 25 and August 12, 2016. The addition of glyphosate plus Distinct (dicamba + diflufenzopyr) postemergence increased control 45 to 66% compared to preemergence treatments alone on July 25 and August 12. However, all treatments receiving a postemergence application controlled kochia similarly on August 12.

Kochiavore At Three Rates With Several Adjuvants For Postemergence Fallow Weed Control, R. Currie, P. Geier

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

No abstract provided.

Kansas River Valley Experiment Field, Eric Adee

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

The Kansas River Valley Experiment Field was established to study management and effective use of irrigation resources for crop production in the Kansas River Valley (KRV). The Paramore Unit consists of 80 acres located 3.5 miles east of Silver Lake on U.S. Highway 24, then 1 mile south of Kiro, and 1.5 miles east on 17th street. The Rossville Unit consists of 80 acres located 1 mile east of Rossville or 4 miles west of Silver Lake on U.S. Highway 24.

Double Crop Soybean After Wheat, D. S. Hansel, J. Kimball, D. E. Shoup, I. A. Ciampitti

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Two double crop (DC) soybean studies were conducted at Ottawa, KS, during the 2016 growing season. Soybean cultivar Asgrow 4232 (MG 4.2) was planted immediately after two different wheat harvest timings (Study 1: early-wheat harvest 18-20% seed moisture content, and Study 2: conventional-harvest, 13-14% seed moisture content). Seven treatments were evaluated in each of the soybean planting dates: 1) common practice, 2) no seed treatment (without seed fungicide + insecticide treatment), 3) non-stay green (without foliar fungicide + insecticide application), 4) high seeding rate (180,000 seeds per acre), 5) wide rows (30-inch row spacing), 6) nitrogen (N) fixation (without late …

Weed Control Programs For Xtend Soybeans In No-Tillage, D. E. Peterson, C. Thompson, C. L. Minihan

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

The development of glyphosate-resistant weeds has greatly complicated weed control in soybeans. Roundup Ready 2 Xtend (dicamba tolerant) soybeans provide growers an alternative herbicide option for preplant and postemergence weed control in no-tillage soybeans. Preplant programs that included dicamba provided excellent control of giant ragweed. All sequential programs provided excellent control of the weeds present in the experiment.

Weather Information For Garden City, 2016, J. Elliott

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

Precipitation for 2016 totaled 17.73 in. This was 1.51 in. below the 30-year average of 19.24 in. and followed two years of above normal moisture. April and July 2016 had considerably above average precipitation, causing good summer crop growing conditions. Rainfall diminished after July to 37% of the 30-year-average, resulting in dry conditions for fall wheat planting. Hail was not observed in 2016. Blowing dust was noted on two days in March. The largest daily rainfall events were 1.72 in. on April 16, and 1.68 in. on July 2.

Value Of Fungicide Application In Wheat Production In Southwest Kansas, A. J. Foster, R. Lollato, M. Vandeveer, E. D. De Wolf

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

During the past several years, applying fungicide to wheat has become a more common practice. The availability of cost-effective generic fungicides, as well as the positive yield responses often reported, seem to be the potential drivers for the adoption of such practices by producers. We conducted a wheat fungicide trial in Garden City, KS, to answer the following questions: 1) Do fungicide applications pay? And 2) Can remote sensing technology be used to quantify the efficacy of different fungicide products? The study consisted of two wheat varieties sown on September 29, 2015 (Oakley CL, highly resistant to stripe rust; and …

Two Pass Weed Control Programs In Conventional Tillage Xtend Soybeans, D. E. Peterson, C. Thompson, C. L. Minihan

Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports

The development of glyphosate-resistant weeds has greatly complicated weed control in soybeans. Roundup Ready 2 Xtend (dicamba tolerant) soybeans provide growers an alternative herbicide option for postemergence weed control in conventional tillage soybeans. Two pass programs consisting of preemergence residual herbicides followed by postemergence Roundup Power Max plus dicamba provided excellent weed control, superior to a single postemergence treatment with Roundup Power Max plus dicamba.