“Starter nitrogen”; fertilization in soybean culture

Abstract

Abstract Proponents of the “starter nitrogen”; concept believe that a small amount of nitrogen fertilizer stimulates early vegetative growth of soybeans, thereby facilitating cultivation and weed control. To evaluate this concept, soybean leaf area, plant height, fresh weight, and yield were measured over three growing seasons. Growth parameters were measured at weekly intervals during the 7 weeks following planting of ‘Bragg’ soybeans (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) which had received 0, 16.8, and 50.4 kg N ha‐1 banded pre‐plant into the soil. The analysis, a multiple linear regression maximum R2 (multiple correlation coefficient) improvement procedure, showed that starter nitrogen did not significantly (.05) influence leaf area, plant height, fresh weight, or yield of Bragg soybeans.