ALTERNATIVE NITROGEN FERTILITY LEVELS AND PROFITABILITY IN SWEET CORN PRODUCTION

Data generated from agronomic experiments suggest that sweet corn yields increase as the amount of nitrogen applied rises, reaching a maximum at around 112.3 kilograms of N per hectare, The most profitable rate of N application, which coincides with the point where yields are at a maximum, is 112.3 kg/ha. This rate is considerably lower than the 180 kg/ha typically applied by farmers in Connecticut. These results indicate that reducing nitrogen applications from what is currently customary would have a positive impact on farm profits. This should be an incentive for farmers to change current practices which would have beneficial economic and environmental effects.