Development of a fertigation program for sprinkler-irrigated corn

(...) A 5-yr study was conducted to compare applications of N through the irrigation system (N fertigation) with applications by concentional means. Determining optimum timming of N fertigations in order to obtain highest yield was a major objective. Initial experiments compared «conventional» sidedress applications with an intensive fertigation program where N was applied weekly or biweekly. In those experiments the fertigation did not enhance corn yield. Comparison of the fertigation schedules with optimum N uptake data revealed that the lack of yield enhancement may have been due to applications that were too late to allow optimum uptake. (...)