Back to Louisville now. Beck’s agronomists shared a bevy of key takeaways from their Practical Farm Research studies this past year. Here’s one on the benefits of split nitrogen (N) applications.  

“At Beck’s, we’ve been doing research on starter. Our favorite system is a 2x2x2, getting the nitrogen on the ground on both sides of the row and applying the rest at V3. It’s a split application; we’re making the most of it. 

“What’s the right rate for that? This is a multi-location study, and we’ve done this for 4 years. We went from 130-250 units. The economic optimum nitrogen rate, which resulted in 236 bushels, was only 160 units. Some of us this year might be going a little higher than that. If you’re in a field that has some organic matter, you may consider lowering your nitrogen rate if you can split apply it.”  

Watch the full Video of this episode of Conservation Ag Update.