6-24-6 Best In
University Trials |
Starter & Foliar Liquid Fertilizer |
Corn research at Kansas State University shows that using
6-24-6 as an in-furrow starter outperforms other liquid starters and
fertilizer placement methods. |
| Reasons for the superior performance were: |
6-24-6 placed in the seed furrow outperforms
other common starter fertilizer programs. Two year average. Bray P1 was 12
ppm. Data from Kansas Fertilizer Research 2000, Report of Progress 868,
Kansas State University at Rossville irrigated site west of Topeka. |
- Low salt index
- Fertilizer close to the seed
- Added potassium
|
The results of this project suggest that 6-24-6 makes an excellent
row-placed liquid starter fertilizer for corn. |
Low salt index |
| 6-24-6 is manufactured without chloride to keep salt indexes low. This
characteristic distinguishes it from other types of NPK solutions.
Additionally, it contains potassium, which gives it an advantage over
10-34-0 and similar products that don’t contain K. Using a low-salt
starter, like 6-24-6, allows the liquid to be placed more safely in the
row. |
The closer the better |
|
| The study shows that the closer we place P-containing starter fertilizer to the young seedlings the better we generally do with small amounts. The
3 and 6-gallon treatments of 6-24-6 in the seed furrow outperformed all
other treatments.
Many growers use 10-34-0 in the seed furrow as a low cost starter
fertilizer program. In this experiment 10-34-0 improved the yield compared
to the check, but didn’t perform as well as the 6-24-6 treatments. Two
gallons of 10-34-0 has roughly the same N and P as 3 gallons of 6-24-6.
The N and P in 4 gallons of 10-34-0 roughly equal the N and P in 6 gallons
of 6-24-6. The 6-24-6 yielded 10 bushel/acre more than the 10-34-0
treatments and about 20 bushels better than the check! |
Potassium boosts yields
The addition of potassium to a row placed starter fertilizer is an
important consideration. We see yield advantages to having K in the
starter even on high testing K soils. Only the potassium phosphate form of
potassium should be used in the row for maximum seed safety. 6-24-6 is
made with potassium phosphate and has a salt index of only 11.5. 10-34-0
has a salt index of 20.0 and has no K. |
Final thoughts
Many growers who are attempting high yields on low P testing soil may want
to combine the 6-24-6 seed placed fertilizer with dual placed P from
10-34-0 for full season feeding. This method provides early season growth
response from the starter plus mid-season feeding from the deeper dual
placed band. |
| Additionally, this study should convince anyone that broadcast P should
only be used as a last choice. Note that 3 gallons of 6-24-6 containing
about 8 lbs. of P2O5 and placed into the seed furrow was far more
effective in raising corn yield than 40 lbs. of P2O5 broadcasted on the
surface. |
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