Abstract

In corn (Zea maysL.), breeding and selection for grain yield over time has been accom­panied by a simultaneous increase in plant nitrogen (N) uptake. The understanding of plant N dynamics has attracted attention due to the environmental concerns related to N losses coming from fertilization. This research study was implemented to 1) describe N uptake and allocation dynamics, and 2) quantify fertilizer recovery efficiency across late-N strategies. Two field experiments (one under irrigation and one rainfed) were conducted at the Ashland Bottoms Research Farm, KS, during 2017. Three hybrids with different year of release and three N scenarios were tested. Isotope¹⁵N was utilized as tracer to determine¹⁵N recovery and N fate within plant organs when both timings of late-N were evaluated. As¹⁵N fertilizer was applied later in the season, lower recovery of the fertilizer was achieved and proportionally more N was allocated to the developing grains. These findings can motivate future investigations using¹⁵N labelling technique to evaluate fertilizer recovery efficiency in corn.

Keywords: maize, nitrogen uptake, post-flowering, fertilizer recovery efficiency, corn

How to Cite:

Fernandez, J. A., Nippert, J. B. & Ciampitti, I. A., (2020) “Dynamics of Post-Flowering Nitrogen Uptake and Nitrogen Recovery Efficiency Using 15N Isotope Labeling in Corn”, Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports 6(5). doi: https://doi.org/10.4148/2378-5977.7920