OVERVIEW
- In a typical Midwestern two-year cornsoybean rotation, fertilizer is applied in a single application prior to planting corn, with the goal of supplying nutrients for both corn and soybean crops.
- However, the seasonal plant nutrient uptake and removal necessitate the need for individual nutrient applications tailored to each crop.
- MOP is commonly used as a potassium (K) source in soybean production.
- In addition to K, micronutrients such as boron (B) are essential for plant growth and are often overlooked in balanced crop nutrition.
- Aspire® is the first-of-its-kind micronutrientenhanced potash fertilizer. Manufactured using Nutriform® technology, Aspire® premium potash with Boron combines K and B in each granule to help achieve uniform nutrient distribution.
TRIAL DETAILS
Locations and Crop Management:
Crop: Soybean (Glycine max)
Year: 2014-2015
Locations: 14 locations across the U.S. United States – AR, IL, KS, MI, MN, ND, NE, OH, TN, VA
Data Source: Field studies conducted by third-party, independent researchers.
Experimental Design: Small-plot RCBD with 4 replications
Cropping Conditions:
Roration: Corn-soybean
Farmer Practice: All recommended fertilizer for both a corn and soybean crop was applied before corn planting in 2013 and 2014, and no fertilizer was applied before soybean planting in 2014 and 2015
Additional Fertilizer: Additional K was applied before soybean planting in the form of MOP or Aspire®.
P Rate: 30 lbs K₂O/ac
Application Timing: Preplant
Application Method: Broadcast incorporated
RESULTS
SUMMARY
- Fertilizing soybeans with MOP yielded 1.9 bu/ac over the Farmer Practice.
- Aspire® demonstrated a 2.9 bu/ac (5.5%) yield increase over the Farmer Practice and 1.0 bu/ac over MOP.
- The results demonstrate the advantage of applying nutrients annually to each crop.
- Higher yields using Aspire® show the benefit of uniform nutrient distribution with a micronutrient-enhanced potash fertilizer.
