Irrigated corn yield as related to spatial variability of selected soil properties

To improve the productivity of corn in irrigated areas it is important to quantify the spatial variability of soil properties that affect the growth and development of plants. An experiment was conducted with pivot-irrigated corn in Buffalo County, in the Platte River Valley of south central Nebraska. The site has been cultivated for at least 20 yrs under conventional tillage and was cropped to corn-soybean. Field studies involving extensive soil sampling and measurement of plant populations, nutrient contents, and grain yields were evaluated during the growing season of corn. Soil samples from the surface 0- to 15-cm and 15- to 30-cm layers were analyzed for chemical and physical characteristics. The relationship between spatial variability of these soil properties and yield of corn are discussed in this paper.