Effect of variety on nutrient composition of field corn

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Abstract
Significant varietal differences in plant nutrient content have been reported in the literature which would make extremely difficult the interpretation of plant analysis results for diagnosing plant nutritional problems. This investigation was conducted to analyze a relatively large number of uniformly fertilized commercially grown corn (Zea mays) varieties for possible differences in N, P, K, Ca, and Mg concentrations. Whole young plants 60 to 90 cm tall and ear leaves collected at tassel ling were chemically analyzed. Varietal differences in the concentrations of N, P, K, and Ca in field corn were statistically significant. Varietal differences in Mg concentrations were significant in three out of the six sets of data. In spite of statistical significance, plant nutrient concentrations were found to be within expected limits for the morphological parts and growth stages examined except for ear leaf P levels in two varieties. These varieties (P.A.G. SX 29 and Pioneer 3304) apparently were capable of accumulating high levels of P, but only when ear leaf P concentrations were generally high for all varieties indicating excessive soil P levels. The majority of corn varieties tested contained relatively uniform nutrient levels and were not significantly different from one another. The usual bell‐shaped frequency distribution curves indicated normal distributions of plant nutrient contents. Varietal differences in nutrient concentrations were generally not found to be large enough to interfere with interpretation of plant analysis results (except possibly for P accumulation in the two varieties mentioned above). But, there was no indication that critical phosphorus levels were higher in P accumulating varieties than in other varieties.