Establishing a Plant Nutrition Network for the CREA Region in Southern Santa Fé

Maize 2012/13 in the Nutrition Network CREA Southern Santa Fe - Visit to La Blanca and Balducchi sites

On December 3 and 4, 2012, CREA Southern Santa Fe, IPNI, and ASP organized a field day to visit the experiments at Balducchi and La Blanca farms of the Nutrition Network CREA Southern Santa Fe. Both experiments started in 2000, the Balducchi site is under maize-wheat/soybean rotation, and the La Blanca site is under maize-soybean-wheat/soybean rotation. This 2012/13 season, both experiments are under maize. Both sites have shown excellent responses to N, P, and S as shown in the photos attached:

Check Balducchi 2012.JPGPS Balducchi 2012.JPGNS Balducchi 2012.JPGNP Balducchi 2012.JPGNPS Balducchi 2012.JPGCheck vs. NPS La Blanca 2012.JPG
Approximately 50 agronomists and farmers participated at the visits, which allowed for discussion of results of previous year and nutrient management and a wet 2012/13 season caused by El Niño effect in the Southern Cone.


Adequate water availability would allow to reach high maize grain yields in areas not affected by flooding increasing nutrient demand. However, considerations should be follow regarding nutrient time and placement to avoid nutrient losses. previous years with adequate precipitations allowed to reach maize grain yields of 15 t/ha under dryland conditions and responses of 87% to NPS applications over check yields.

Zinc deficiencies were especially visible at the NPS plots as shown in these two photos: