The effect of starter phosphorus fertilizer. The tall maize plants received band-placed P fertilizer at planting, and the short plants received no P fertilizer. The rows left of centre are in a plot with a moderate level of soil P, and those right of centre had low soil P. Despite the dramatic effect of starter P at the seedling stage, there was no difference in final grain yield between the fertilized and unfertilized maize. Photo taken at Cedara Research Farm, KwaZulu-Natal