Drilling Nitrogen into an Established Wheat Crop.

Nitrogen volatility is a significant concern when deciding on which topdressing method to use for winter wheat production in the Great Plains region. With the many producer options for application of fertilizers commercially available, it is of the utmost importance that research continues to be done to develop different ideals and methods of improving nitrogen use efficiency, while still remaining a viable option for producers of today. This study is being conducted to determine if placing nitrogen fertilizer in a band below the soil surface of a growing winter wheat crop will help to decrease nitrogen volatilization, increase crop yields per unit of nitrogen, and not cause a negative impact on the wheat plant itself due to drill damage. The experiment is designed as a randomized complete block design (RCBD), with a total of 11 replications across three locations. The effects of nitrogen source and application method (drilled urea, broadcasted urea, broadcasted ammonium nitrate, and broadcasted SuperU) as well as time of topdress application (January, February, and March) are to be compared against final yield. The locations are Perkins, Lahoma, and Chickasha. The soil at Perkins consists of Konowa and Teller Loamy fine sand and fine sandy loam, Lahoma consists of a Grant silt loam, and finally Chickasha is comprised of a Dale silt loam and Reinarch silt loam. It is anticipated that by applying the nitrogen below the soil surface, the chances for loss will be reduced, and final yield will be greater.