Uneven Growth Corrected with Proper Soil Management

How this Southern Illinois Farm Used Soil Management Services to Eliminate Uneven Growth Management

Farm Profile
This grower is a corn, soybean and wheat producer from Southern Illinois.

The Challenge
In southern Illinois, the soils tend not to drain water well, and become compacted through weather events because of its lower organic matter levels. This compaction is rather normal, but not desirable. In these conditions, corn roots grow slowly. When the corn is small, it becomes uneven in growth and tends to show wavy patterns across a field. One such field was investigated by SoilRight, who was able to provide answers to the client on how to eliminate this problem in the future.

This client’s problem field was a no-till field, meaning that there was no primary tillage operation performed on this field before planting. Anhydrous ammonia was applied before planting through ammonia knives that are 30 inches apart across the soil profile. The markings of the ammonia application were visible throughout the growing season. The ammonia was applied in an angle across the field, which is a normal procedure.

The Result
SoilRight took observations and measurements from smaller plants to the application track, and from larger plants to the ammonia track. Through this process, it was discovered that the smaller plants were further away from the ammonia track than larger plants. SoilRight was then able to determine that the smaller plants with smaller roots were nitrogen deficient as compared to their larger counterparts that were closer to the tracks.

Applying some nitrogen using a broadcast method across the entire soil profile was the corrective measure that SoilRight recommended. With applying nitrogen in closer proximity to the plants that are farther away from the application track of ammonia, the plants became more vigorous in their initial growth stages. The waviness that once occurred every year has now disappeared thanks to SoilRight’s cutting-edge soil management services.