Corn nutrient management study wins graduate student a research award

A graduate student explains his research to another man at a research poster presentation. — Sukhdeep Singh (left) explains his research during the poster presentation. (Photo provided)

Corn growers know the importance of proper nutrient management for productive crop development. That includes using the right fertilizer in the right amount, place, and time, along with appropriate water management. Doing this should have minimal impact on the environment, while striving for high yields. A UF/IFAS department of soil, water, and ecosystem sciences (SWES) graduate student recently won an award for his research in this area. Sukhdeep Singh won third place at the annual meeting of the Southern Branch of the American Society of Agronomy.

Evaluation of Smart Fertilizer Technologies
for Improving Nitrogen Use Efficiency in Corn

Singh, a SWES M.S. student, looked at corn grown in sandy soil in the Suwannee River Valley of north Florida. The research focused on three smart fertilizer technologies (SFTs): biostimulants (BS), control release fertilizers (CRF), and nitrification inhibitors (NI). These SFTs were used with different nitrogen rates on farm plots at the North Florida Research and Education Center-Suwannee Valley.

A table showing different fertilizer treatments for a research study on corn nutrient management — Click on table to enlarge

“The overall goal was to see if any of the SFTs are effective at improving yield and nitrogen use efficiency in corn,” Singh said. “We analyzed nitrate movement in the soil. We collected the yield and nitrogen concentration data at harvest, which was conducted at 147 days after planting.”

The results showed that the yield was significantly greater in all the treatments compared to the control. This also was true for nitrogen uptake, which also varied among the different SFT treatments. There also were significant differences among the treatment combinations (source + rate) as well as the different sources (BS, CRF, NI) for nitrogen use efficiency.

“First-year data shows that biostimulant coupled with the split application of nitrogen as urea improved the yield and nitrogen use efficiency compared to other treatment groups,” Singh explained. He added that they need more research to draw more definitive conclusions. A second year of this trial is underway in 2024.

Apart from these continuing initiatives, it’s important to recognize Singh’s prior successes. For his oral presentations at the ASA CSSA SSSA International Annual Meeting in Saint Louis, MO, last year, Sukhdeep also secured third place in the nutrient management session.

Acknowledgments

Singh wants to acknowledge his faculty advisor, Dr. Lakesh Sharma. Sharma is an assistant professor of soil fertility and sustainable nutrient management at SWES. He also is a project leader in the UF/IFAS Nutrient Management Program. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) provided funding for both students’ research.