How to reduce N application for corn

France: significant reduction in N application in Corn

Multicote Agri enables a reduction of 22 % in the total applied nitrogen, with no yield decrease

Crop/cultivar	Maize
Country / location / date	France (south-east), Mr liataud Michel 04200 MISON, Cooperative ALPESUD/ Summer 2003
Objectives	Maintain total yield with reduced N rate and less applications, and compare Multicote Agri with ENTEC
Haifa product tested	Multicote Agri 26-12-8 (blend based on 25% coated + 75% uncoated urea + DAP + MOP)
Application method	Banding at 10 cm under, and 20 cm to the side of the future line of plants
Tested treatment	Multicote Agri: 200 kg/ha of N (78% of commercial N application) by Base Dressing of Multicote Agri, 26-12-8 Control: 50 kg/ha of N as urea at sowing + 207 kg/ha of N by Top Dressing of urea @ age of 3 leaves ENTEC: 50 kg/ha of N as ENTEC at sowing + 156 kg/ha of N as TD of ENTEC @ age of 3 leaves (80% of commercial N application). Total ENTEC applied- 600 kg/ha
treatment results Grain yield - (MT /ha)	Control – 15.3 a Multicote Agri – 15.3 a ENTEC - 14.7 a
Conclusions	A 22% reduction in N, all applied at sowing, by banding the Multicote Agri close to the plants roots, has not caused any decrease in the yield. This represents a marked saving in both N fertilizer and application costs, as well as conforming with legal environmental constraints. Multicote Agri results were superior to those achieved by ENTEC with slightly more N and an additional TD operation.
Reference	Alpesud; L. Aubertin Duclos International