Dris Norms for 11 Nutrients in Corn Leaves1

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Abstract
Fertilizer accounts for nearly one‐half of the total cash expenses of growing corn (zea mays L.) in Georgia. Recommendations are usually made with the assumption of favorable climatic conditions, a practice that can result in serious problems to farmers in years of unfavorable climatic conditions. This is especially true on deep sands where nutrient‐holding capacity is low. One possible way of reducing the risk and increasing fertilizer efficiency is to apply moderate amounts of fertilizer initially and make corrections in the growing season as indicated by foliar analysis. Results of foliar analyses are usually interpreted on the basis of the Critical Nutrient Level (CNL) approach. Recently, the Diagnosis and Recommendation Integrated System (DRIS) was found to be an effective approach for interpreting foliar values and guiding corrections in the growing season for sugarcane (trispecies hybrid of Saccharum). The present study was conducted to determine the DRIS reference norms for 11 nutrients (N, P, K, Ca, Mg, S, Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu, and B). A data base of approximately 10 000 observations of leaf nutrient concentrations and yield of corn grown in several states and countries was used to establish the norms on corn leaves. They should be useful in diagnosis of nutrient imbalance in order to make adjustments in the nutritional status of corn plants.

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