Nitrogen Deficiency in Corn: Causes, Symptoms, and Impact on Yield

In Part 1 of our nitrogen guide for corn, learn how nitrogen deficiency affects corn plant health. Understand its causes, symptoms, and the impact it can have on yield loss in your fields. In Part 2, discover the best times to optimize your corn yield with proper nitrogen application. 

Determining the right amount of nitrogen for your corn crop is a balancing act that can challenge any farmer. Get it wrong, and your yield can suffer. We can help you better understand the complexities of nitrogen deficiency in corn to make sound decisions to protect your crop. 

To fully address the nitrogen needs in your field, you need to understand what causes nitrogen deficiency in the first place. 

Corn relies on nitrogen to develop essential plant compounds like chlorophyll, amino acids and nucleic acids that fuel metabolic processes. Since the crop's nitrogen requirements are considerable, you'll often need to supply additional nitrogen to help maximize your yield. 

📸: Internal BASF illustration/Featuring the nitrogen cycle in action.

What causes nitrogen deficiency in corn?

You’re most likely to see nitrogen deficiency in corn when these conditions are present: 

1. Cold or saturated soil 
2. Dry soil later in the season 
3. Sandy soil 
4. Large quantities of low-nitrogen crop residue 
5. Inadequate fertilization 
6. Heavy rainfall causing leaching
7. Flooded or ponded soil in warm temperatures 

What signs of nitrogen deficiency in corn should you watch for?

A lack of nitrogen can lead to these symptoms in corn plants: 

1. Stunted growth 
2. Yellowing leaves initially on the lowest part of the plant
3. Weak, spindly stalks 

To avoid these problems, you should conduct soil testing and control nitrogen levels in your corn fields. A key sign of nitrogen deficiency is a plant with pale, yellowish leaves and spindly stalks. Yellowing will appear in a “v” pattern starting at the tip and moving to the midrib toward the leaf base. Symptoms tend to appear on older, lower leaves first and work their way up if the deficiency isn’t addressed.¹ 

📸: @Shawn Fair via Canva/Featuring a comparison of N sufficient and N deficient corn plants. 

How does nitrogen deficiency in corn impact yield?

Nitrogen deficiency can significantly impact your corn crop’s yield because of negative effects on photosynthesis and chlorophyll production, kernel size and number, and overall plant health. The severity of the impact will depend on the level of nitrogen deficiency as well as the conditions in your field leading to the deficiency. 

For instance, if you’ve had heavy rainfall and you’re weighing the use of a late-season nitrogen application to minimize or negate the effects of nitrogen leaching, you should consider the rate at which soil nitrate is lost in saturated conditions: 

1. At soil temperatures of 55-65 F, soil loses 2-3% of soil nitrate per day in saturated conditions
2. At soil temperatures higher than 65 F, soil loses 4-5% of soil nitrate per day in saturated conditions²

Knowing the rate of nitrate leaching from your soil is important in determining whether a mid- or late-season nitrogen application can offset potential yield loss from nitrogen deficiency.

Experts are available to help you make the most informed decisions all year long. Reach out to your local agronomist or regional BASF representative to help answer your questions about managing nitrogen deficiency in corn.

In Part 2, learn when and how to fertilize with nitrogen. 

Learn more at Grow Smart® Live:

1. Plant Nutrient Deficiency Symptoms: Where, When, and What to Look For
2. What Is Phosphorus Deficiency in Corn? 

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SOURCES

1. “Nutrient Deficiency — Nitrogen.” Institute of Agriculture, The University of Tennessee, 2023. https://news.utcrops.com/2023/05/nutrient-deficiency-nitrogen
2. Quinn, Dan. "Should Supplemental Nitrogen Be Applied to Corn Following Heavy Rainfall?" Purdue University - College of Agriculture, 6 July 2021, ag.purdue.edu/news/department/agry/kernel-news/2021/07/supplemental-n-corn-heavy-rain.html. Accessed 19 Nov. 2024.