As no-till acreage increases, N management guidelines need reexamination du
e to the potential effects of surface residue on N transformations and crop
development. Our objectives were to determine: (i) if N applied at Zadok's
Growth Stage (GS) 25 improves grain yield of no-till winter wheat (Triticu
m aestivum L.), (ii) if any yield increase was the result of increased spri
ng tillering, and (iii) if there is a critical tiller density above which N
application at GS-25 in no-till wheat was not required. Research was condu
cted at three sites in North Carolina with seven site-years between fall 19
96 and spring 1999. A continuum of GS 25 tiller densities was generated (16
1-1774 tillers m(-2)) by planting at different seeding rates and dates in a
randomized complete block design. Five N treatments were applied at GS-25,
and three were applied at GS-30, Tillering response to early spring N, yie
ld, and yield components were measured, increasing early spring N rates res
ulted in higher tiller densities at GS-30, and GS-25 tiller density was a s
ignificant covariate With GS-25 tiller densities >550 tillers m(-2), yields
were higher when all N was applied at GS-30. In years without spring freez
es, wheat with <550 tillers m(-2) achieved optimum yields when spring N was
applied at GS-25, Manipulating the timing of spring N application can opti
mize early spring tillering and yield component formation.