Impacts of Nitrogen Fertilizer Application Timing and Rate on Sweet Corn Production Under Subtropical Environmental Conditions
Sweet corn (<i>Zea mays</i> convar. <i>saccharata</i> var. <i>rugosa</i>) is an important crop in the United States (US), particularly in the southeastern region. While effective nitrogen (N) management is essential for optimizing yields, the sandy soils and varia...
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MDPI AG
2025-03-01
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| Series: | Nitrogen |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2504-3129/6/2/20 |
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| author | Jessica Paranhos Wheeler Foshee Timothy Coolong Emmanuel Torres-Quezada Andre Luiz Biscaia Ribeiro da Silva |
| author_facet | Jessica Paranhos Wheeler Foshee Timothy Coolong Emmanuel Torres-Quezada Andre Luiz Biscaia Ribeiro da Silva |
| author_sort | Jessica Paranhos |
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| description | Sweet corn (<i>Zea mays</i> convar. <i>saccharata</i> var. <i>rugosa</i>) is an important crop in the United States (US), particularly in the southeastern region. While effective nitrogen (N) management is essential for optimizing yields, the sandy soils and variable precipitation in this region impact N uptake. This study evaluates the effects of several N rates (ranging from 224 to 336 kg ha<sup>−1</sup>) and N fertilizer application timing (N fertilizer applied at emergence and side-dress stages) on sweet corn growth and yield under the subtropical environmental conditions of the southeastern US. Field experiments were conducted over three years in the states of Georgia (2020) and Alabama (2021 and 2022). In general, the weather conditions of each season had a direct impact on sweet corn growth, development, and yield parameters. Among all locations, the season in Alabama (2022) allowed for the highest yields (17,380 kg ha<sup>−1</sup>), which could be attributed to favorable weather conditions that required moderate nitrogen application rates (224–280 kg ha⁻<sup>1</sup>). Contrarily, the weather conditions of Alabama in 2021 and Georgia in 2020 impacted soil N availability, consequently leading to negative effects on sweet corn growth. Overall, N fertilizer management strategies are indicated to be region- and season-specific in order to enhance sweet corn production while protecting the environment from excessive N losses. Further research is still required to refine these strategies and improve predictive models for diverse climatic conditions. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-fa52aaa763f14da898cb7fa0e08dce12 |
| institution | Matheson Library |
| issn | 2504-3129 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-03-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nitrogen |
| spelling | doaj-art-fa52aaa763f14da898cb7fa0e08dce122025-06-25T14:15:16ZengMDPI AGNitrogen2504-31292025-03-01622010.3390/nitrogen6020020Impacts of Nitrogen Fertilizer Application Timing and Rate on Sweet Corn Production Under Subtropical Environmental ConditionsJessica Paranhos0Wheeler Foshee1Timothy Coolong2Emmanuel Torres-Quezada3Andre Luiz Biscaia Ribeiro da Silva4Department of Horticulture, Auburn University, 101 Funchess Hall, Auburn, AL 36849, USADepartment of Horticulture, Auburn University, 101 Funchess Hall, Auburn, AL 36849, USADepartment of Horticulture, University of Georgia, 1111 Miller Plant Sciences, Athens, GA 30602, USADepartment of Horticulture, North Carolina State University, 2721 Founders Dr, Raleigh, NC 27607, USADepartment of Horticulture, Auburn University, 101 Funchess Hall, Auburn, AL 36849, USASweet corn (<i>Zea mays</i> convar. <i>saccharata</i> var. <i>rugosa</i>) is an important crop in the United States (US), particularly in the southeastern region. While effective nitrogen (N) management is essential for optimizing yields, the sandy soils and variable precipitation in this region impact N uptake. This study evaluates the effects of several N rates (ranging from 224 to 336 kg ha<sup>−1</sup>) and N fertilizer application timing (N fertilizer applied at emergence and side-dress stages) on sweet corn growth and yield under the subtropical environmental conditions of the southeastern US. Field experiments were conducted over three years in the states of Georgia (2020) and Alabama (2021 and 2022). In general, the weather conditions of each season had a direct impact on sweet corn growth, development, and yield parameters. Among all locations, the season in Alabama (2022) allowed for the highest yields (17,380 kg ha<sup>−1</sup>), which could be attributed to favorable weather conditions that required moderate nitrogen application rates (224–280 kg ha⁻<sup>1</sup>). Contrarily, the weather conditions of Alabama in 2021 and Georgia in 2020 impacted soil N availability, consequently leading to negative effects on sweet corn growth. Overall, N fertilizer management strategies are indicated to be region- and season-specific in order to enhance sweet corn production while protecting the environment from excessive N losses. Further research is still required to refine these strategies and improve predictive models for diverse climatic conditions.https://www.mdpi.com/2504-3129/6/2/20weather variabilitysandy soilsplant growthfertilizer nitrogen use efficiencysweet corn yieldkernel structure |
| spellingShingle | Jessica Paranhos Wheeler Foshee Timothy Coolong Emmanuel Torres-Quezada Andre Luiz Biscaia Ribeiro da Silva Impacts of Nitrogen Fertilizer Application Timing and Rate on Sweet Corn Production Under Subtropical Environmental Conditions Nitrogen weather variability sandy soils plant growth fertilizer nitrogen use efficiency sweet corn yield kernel structure |
| title | Impacts of Nitrogen Fertilizer Application Timing and Rate on Sweet Corn Production Under Subtropical Environmental Conditions |
| title_full | Impacts of Nitrogen Fertilizer Application Timing and Rate on Sweet Corn Production Under Subtropical Environmental Conditions |
| title_fullStr | Impacts of Nitrogen Fertilizer Application Timing and Rate on Sweet Corn Production Under Subtropical Environmental Conditions |
| title_full_unstemmed | Impacts of Nitrogen Fertilizer Application Timing and Rate on Sweet Corn Production Under Subtropical Environmental Conditions |
| title_short | Impacts of Nitrogen Fertilizer Application Timing and Rate on Sweet Corn Production Under Subtropical Environmental Conditions |
| title_sort | impacts of nitrogen fertilizer application timing and rate on sweet corn production under subtropical environmental conditions |
| topic | weather variability sandy soils plant growth fertilizer nitrogen use efficiency sweet corn yield kernel structure |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2504-3129/6/2/20 |
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