Assessing Potassium Needs
The adequacy of soil potassium fertility has increasingly been called into question both by professionals in the Ag industry and a recent scientific publication. A 2010 IPNI survey of laboratory STK levels have indicated declines across the Midwest and a survey of corn ear leaves from three states over three years show K deficiencies are often more prominent than those of any other nutrient. Research will be presented on side dress potassium treatments on corn across six Midwest states, with affects on yield and relevance of ear leaf nutrient ratios. Discussion will focus on factors which impact crop K demand and impact nutrient management.
Biography: Robert Miller was born in 1955 at Gretna, Nebraska, and grew up on a grain farm in the east central part of the state. After receiving his B.S. degree in 1978, and MS in 1981 at the University of Nebraska, he was employed by Texas A&M University as Research Technician. In 1988 he earned his Ph.D. degrees at Montana State University in soil fertility and chemistry. From 1988 to 1997, he was with the University of California Davis Cooperative Extension service where he served as extension Soil Specialist and Director of the Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources Diagnostic Laboratory. He joined the faculty of Colorado State University in 1997 as an affiliate Professor in Soils and Crop Sciences, where he was a leader in the development of the North American Proficiency Testing program, which provides proficiency evaluation samples to soil testing laboratories. In 1998 he founded laboratory proficiency programs for golf course root zones, compost and for the US-EPA livestock bio-solids. Dr. Miller conducts lab workshops annually and continues to conduct research into soil analysis and fertility. He founded the Agricultural Laboratory Proficiency Program in 2006 and is widely known for encouraging the improvement of methods of soil sampling, soil test methods and testing.
July 29, 2014 03:30pm
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