An on-farm comparison of fertility treatments to one Sweet Corn variety planted and harvested at two different times during the season was carried out at the Way Fruit Farm in Centre County, Pennsylvania. This was an evaluation of which treatment was most economical, had the best sugar content, and nutrient utilization. The treatments consisted of: 1) 50 pounds of nitrogen applied just prior to planting as a broadcast and incorporated 2) a nitrogen recommendation based on Pre-Sidedress Nitrate Soil Test (PSNT) taken when the corn was 8 to 12 inches tall, and 3). a foliar treatment with Fertileader & Fertileader BMO.

Two replicated trials consisting of these three treatments replicated four times in each trial were planted, one in early May and the second in early June, 2003. All treatments were applied after each trial was soil sampled and brought up to recommended soil test levels for P and K.
PSNT recommendations were made if the test level was less than 25 ppm nitrate. The recommendations were based on a yield goal of 120 bushels of dry shell corn per acre. We used this goal based on field corn because Penn State has no yield goal for sweet corn. Both trials were sprayed with the herbicides: Prowl 3 EC at 1 quart & Bicep Lite II, Magnum at 2 quarts per acre pre-emergence to control weeds. The planting rate was 18,000 seeds/acre.

Harvests were taken August 18 & August 25, 2003 in Trials1 and 2 respectively. Measurements were based on the number and weight of marketable ears from the middle 20 feet of rows 4, 8, 12, and 16 out of each plot. Yields were interpolated to one acre. A Brix test was performed for sugar content of 1 ear selected at random from each row sample harvested in each plot. The 2003 year was a record setting year for rainfall. Irrigation was only needed once to help incorporate the side dress Nitrogen fertilizer recommended in the PSNT treatments. Wire cone traps with appropriate lures were used to trap and monitor Corn Earworm and European Corn Borer. A bucket trap was used to monitor Fall Armyworm. The results of this monitoring did not show a need for increased insecticide spraying.

The cost for treatment 1 was $558.55 per acre, treatment 2 was $548.10 per acre, and treatment 3 was $540.62 per acre. Net return to management for treatment 1 was $2419.16 per acre, treatment 2 was $3088.21 per acre, and treatment 3 was $2416.07 per acre. The results of the Brix test for sugar content were 22.78 for treatment 1, 21.94 for treatment 2, and 22.22 for treatment 3. Brooks Way plans to use a PSNT test on all sweet corn grown in 2004.

Project participants were Brooks Way of Way Fruit Farm, Thomas Butzler, Craig Altemose, and Mark Douglass, Penn State Cooperative Extension. Responsibilities included experimental design, implementation, data collection, analysis, outreach efforts, and summary report.