Anhydrous Ammonia Injury as an Indicator of Soil Compaction.
Anhydrous ammonia can severely dessicate corn leaves.
Patterns of scorched leaves in fields probably reflects compacted areas. Effect of ammonia burn to leaves on subsequent yield is minimal, if any. As I have driven around the countryside the last several days, I couldn't help but notice the typical scorched look of injured corn plants caused by ammonia gas escaping from poorly closed slots during sidedress nitrogen applications. What wasn't so typical was the random patterns of damage across fields, not just the usual end row damage where equipment turned around. Not unlike the presence of leaf rolling , these random patterns of ammonia burn to corn leaves likely reflect the existence of severe soil compaction in many fields around the state this year.