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Missouri corn tissue samples show deficiencies

WinField United sampled 450 corn tissues from last year’s Missouri corn crop and found some nutrient deficiencies. Sara Smelser is the WinField United agronomist for Missouri and southern Illinois, “We did slightly better than normal with our macro nutrition this last year. We still did see some deficiencies in things like nitrogen and potassium and sulfur. Then we also saw quite a bit of micronutrient deficiency in 2017 as well.”

Smelser tells Brownfield there was a 10-percentage point increase in corn tissues samples with deficiencies in boron, and/or manganese, and zinc, compared to 2016.

She says all of the deficiencies have to do with the wet weather last year and the tissue sample results will help inform growers for this year’s corn crop, “They say, ‘okay, well we understand why this happened this last year so how can we plan for, maybe to prevent it or to compensate for it this year?’ And, I think, that’s making sure that an adequate fertility program is in the plans for a grower.”

Factors that affect nutrient availability to plants, Smelser says, are also soil type and pH, crop rotation and planting population.