Evaluation of Ammonium Sulfate Nitrate in Virginia Sweet Corn Production

Virginia farmers grow over 3,000 acres of fresh market sweet corn. They are interested in exploring sources and rates to improve N use efficiency. This trial compared three N sources (urea-ammonium nitrate, ammonium nitrate, and ammonium sulfate-nitrate) at three rates. The first two N sources were compared with and without S, applied as gypsum, at a rate designed to supply the equivalent amount of S provided by ammonium sulfate-nitrate (65 lb/A).

Averaged over two seasons (2009 and 2010), the three N sources increased marketable yields by 30 to 65% using optimum N rates ranging from 110 to 170 lb/A. Agronomic efficiency at optimum rates ranged from 26 to 45 lb of marketable yield increase per lb of N applied. Sulfur added as gypsum did not increase yields, and sources did not show consistent differences across the two seasons.

These findings support N management decisions that optimize food yields while minimizing risk of water contamination by N on the sandy loam soils of the Chesapeake Bay watershed. VA-23F