1. Starter Potassium for Corn: Why and When

Starter fertilizer application can complement broa dcast P and K fertilization for corn and other crops. Questions about its use relate mainly to the conditions in which it is most effective (such as soil-test level, tillage syst em, and broadcast fertilization rates among others), application methods and rates that do not damage seedlings, and nutrient ratios. Many studies in Iowa and the Midwest have shown that starter mixtures (usu ally N-P or N-P-K) often increase early corn growth. Corn yield...