No-till wheat topdress N study

        Date    
          1/31/2005    
             
Project Title              
  Notill wheat topdress evaluation
 
             
Investigator 1       Investigator 2      
  Dietrich Kastens  RR 2 Box 80, Herndon, KS  67739    
   
   
   
Phone 7856269284     Phone      
               
Email       Email      
  dietrich@kastensinc.com          
             
Statement of Problem            
               
Little research has taken place regarding appropriate N topdress wheats in No-till wheat in NW Kansas
             
Project Objectives            
               
The goal of this research is to assess the economic threshold for N application in a topdressing application for notill wheat as well as to evaluate different methodologies for determining that rate
             
Methodology              
               
A 40’ DMI fertilizer rig will be used to topdress no-till wheat using the following criteria:
1. A farmer-defined base rate (STN before previous crop – crop removal + N required (1.8*YG – lbs N in starter)
2. Base rate + 20 lbs
3. Base rate + 40 lbs
4. Base rate – 20 lbs
5. A Greenseeker handheld will be used along with N requirements from OSU to determine a GreenSeeker N Rate
6.  Additionally at the base rate the fertilizer rig will not be put into the ground to simulate a surface dribble application.
Harvest will be performed with GreenStar equipped John Deere combines and data analysis will be conducted in MapInfo and Excel.  A GreenSeeker Handheld will be obtained from the SWARC in Tribune and full-fertilized summer fallow wheat will be used as a surrogate for the N-rich strip required to determine the GreenSeeker N rate.  Yield impacts will also be assessed in a cost benefit analysis
 
             
Expected outcome / Benefit to KARA          
There is a lot of unkowns in growing notill wheat in western Kansas, specifically with N application rates and methods of delivery.  Hopefully, this simple project will begin to answer some of these questions.