The productivity of Huntington, Waynesboro and Dickson soils for corn under high levels of management

Soil productivity is the capacity of a soil to produce crops and is subject to three major influences: the inherent productivity of the soil, the management practice and climate. For many years there has been a recognized need for information of the productive capacity of soils and their response to various management inputs and amounts of these inputs under different environmental conditions. Since the many soil types in Tennessee vary greatly in their ability to produce crops, this information is needed in order for farmers to better utilize their land and other resources by selecting the best cropping system and management level.

A preliminary study of the productivity of Huntington, Waynesboro and Dickson soils in 1958 showed that these soils have different productive capacities for corn at low to moderate levels or management and also that these soils do not respond alike to given inputs and, therefore, require different management.

The objective of this study in Putnam County was to determine the maximum productive capacity of these same three soils for a given year and their response to certain management variables at high levels of inputs.