Potential for Sensor Based Systems in Corn-Sugar Beet
Rotations
John A. LambDepartment of Soil, Water, and Climate
University of Minnesota – St. [email protected]
Southern Minnesota Sugar Beet Rotations
• Current– Sugar beet-soybean-corn 78% of acreage– Future may include Sugar beet-corn-soybean-corn..
• Quality is job 1.• N is the key!• 2003 increased N management put $141 per
acre in grower’s pockets.• Growers think they need a lot of N fertilizer to
grow 200 bushel corn!
Southern Minnesota Beet Sugar Cooperative Area
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
0 50 100 150 200 250 300
Soil Nitrate-N (0-4 ft) + Fertilizer N (lb/A)
Rel
ativ
e R
etur
n (%
)
Whole Rotation Soybean-Corn-Sugar beet
• Year 1– Located plots and grew soybean.
• Year 2– Apply N fertilizer at rates of 0, 120, and 200
pounds/acre to large plots.– Grew corn, harvest corn, and soil sampled for soil
nitrate-N.
• Year 3– Apply N fertilizer at 6 rates to large plots.– Grow sugar beet for yield and quality.
Whole Rotation Effects on Soil Nitrate-N (Soybean-Corn)
N rate 2003 Olivia Maynard
pounds/acre Soil nitrate-N 0-4 ft. (lb/acre)
0 74 50
120 101 78
200 146 102
Possible sensor uses
• Better N management for corn preceding sugar beet in the rotation.– Less residual soil nitrate-N
• Delineate management zones for deep soil sampling.– For corn and/or sugar beet production years.
Southern Minnesota Sugar Beet Rotations
• Future– Sugar beet-corn-soybean-corn
• Soybean rust• Soybean cyst nematode• Soybean iron chlorosis• Sugar beet root diseases
Whole Rotation: Sugar beet-corn
• Year 1– Grow sugar beet with five N rates in large plots. – Measure beet yield, beet quality, and soil nitrate-N
• Year 2– Grow corn– Apply four N rates with in the year 1 large plots– Measure corn yield and soil nitrate-N.
Whole Rotation: Sugar beet-corn
• This a project in progress.
• Two locations established spring 2002, 2003, and 2004.
• Example of one of 2002 locations.
Whole Rotation EffectsBeet-Corn Maynard 2002
N rate 2002
Fertilizer plus Soil N
2002Rec suc
Soil nitrate-N
Beet top N
---------------------- lb/acre ----------------------
0 49 9276 43 79
50 99 9898 40 104
100 149 9959 42 144
150 199 8873 62 154
200 249 9827 45 184
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
0 50 100 150
2003 N rate (lb/A)
So
il n
itra
te-N
0-4
ft.
(lb
/a)
20020
200250
2002100
2002150
2002200
Whole Rotation Effects on Soil Nitrate-N Beet-Corn Maynard
Possible sensor uses
• Better N management for corn following sugar beet in the rotation.– Sugar beet top N credit.– N rec prediction as soil nitrate test is useless.
I’m out of steam!
Whole Rotation EffectsBeet-Corn Olivia 2002
N rate 2002
Fertilizer plus Soil N
2002Rec suc
Soil nitrate-N
Beet top N
----------------- lb/acre ----------------
0 79 7693 42 56
40 119 9226 35 63
80 159 8789 39 72
120 199 8893 41 90
160 239 8332 42 96
Grain Yield: Corn following Sugar beet Olivia, MN 2003
125
135
145
155
165
175
185
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140
2003 N rate (lb/A)
Co
rn g
rain
yie
ld (
bu
/a)
20020 200240 200280 2002120 2002160
40
44
48
52
56
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140
2003 N rate (lb/A)
SP
AD
un
its
20020 200240 200280 2002120 2002160
Chlorophyll: Corn following Sugar beet Olivia, MN 2003
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
0 50 100 150
2003 N rate (lb/A)
So
il n
itra
te-N
0-4
ft.
(lb
/a)
20020
200240
200280
2002120
2002160
Whole Rotation Effects on Soil Nitrate-N Beet-Corn Olivia
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