Corn School: Nitrogen strategies for early and late-planted crops

As the calendar turns to the back half of June in Ontario, growers typically sharpen their focus on nitrogen management as the crop pushes into its rapid growth phases.
But what's happening in the field in mid June 2024 is really dependent on where in the province you farm and whether you've been able to avoid continuous rain and get corn planted in a timely manner. Ontario Ministry of Farming, Agriculture, and Agribusiness corn lead Ben Rosser says there's extreme growth stage variability across the province as some growers continue to struggle to plant corn; other fields are just emerging and starting to advance; while in stark contrast, early-planted crops are starting to close the row.
All that variability means farmers will have to assess fields on an individual basis to determine the nitrogen needs of their corn crops, says Rosser. On this episode of the RealAgriculture Corn School, Rosser looks at the impact of environmental conditions, including all that rain in some areas, and how it can impact nitrogen mineralization, potential loss and availability to the crop.
Rosser and his ministry colleague, soil fertility specialist Colin Elgie, are telling growers that optimal nitrogen rates for corn are likely to be around normal to slightly higher on average in 2024. This assumes that grower's planned N rate is based on current expected yields and economics.
Elgie says it’s important to note that extra nitrogen on late-planted corn will not make up for the loss of growing season. If expected yield has decreased from a month’s delay in planting, N rate adjustments should be considered to maintain optimal profitability of corn, he notes.
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