No‐Till and Strip‐Till Corn Production with Broadcast and Subsurface‐Band Phosphorus and Potassium

Fertilizer placement is often designed to improve nutrient availability. Our objective was to determine the effect of P and K rate and placement in no‐till and strip‐till on grain yield; water, P, and K values in the soil; and the distribution of corn ( Zea mays L.) roots. A 4‐yr field experiment was setup near Urbana, IL, with a corn–soybean [ Glycine max (L.) Merr.] rotation. Tillage/fertilizer placement was the main plot [no‐till/broadcast (NTBC), no‐till/deep band (NTDB), and strip‐till/deep band (STDB)]; deep band was 15‐cm beneath the crop row. Phosphorus fertilizer rate (0, 12, 24, and 36 kg P ha −1 yr −1 ) was the subplot, and K‐fertilizer rate (0, 42, 84, and 168 kg K ha −1 yr −1 ) was the sub‐subplot. Measurements included grain yield and yield components, grain and shoot P and K concentrations, root parameters, and soil‐water, P, and K values. Strip‐till/deep band produced greater kernels row −1 and 9.43 Mg ha −1 yield that was 7.8% greater than NTBC and 7.9% greater than NTDB. Deep banding increased soil P and K test values beneath the crop row and lowered soil surface test values compared with broadcast applications, but had no effect on root distribution. Across treatments, greatest apparent P and K uptake occurred in the surface layer where most roots were present and where precipitation replenished water to a greater extent than deeper layers. Relative to NTBC, STDB had 24% greater apparent‐P and 23% greater apparent‐K uptake rates. The results indicate that improved conditions for nutrient uptake provide a competitive advantage for production with STDB relative to no‐till treatments.