Comparative Yield and Fertilizer Efficiency of No‐tillage and Conventionally Tilled Corn1

Abstract
Surface application of fertilizer for no‐tillage (Zea mays L.) corn is probably the most convenient method. The relative efficiency of fertilizer applied in this manner has been undetermined, however. Field experiments on three soil types in Virginia suggest that fertilizer efficiency for no‐tillage corn with surface application was higher than for conventionally tilled corn with an equal disked‐in application. No‐tillage resulted in a 9‐year average yield increase of 25.6% on Lodi silt loam, a 6‐year average increase of 13.7% on Davidson clay loam, and a 5‐year average increase of 39.0% on Cecil clay loam. In addition to increased yields, larger amounts of residual N, P, and K, as well as organic matter, were found in no‐tillage soil in several cases.

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