Strategies for Improving the Crop Safety and Efficiency of Starter Fertilizer for Saskatchewan Crops

Crops were planted in flats of soil are prepared to simulate a seed-bed and a low-disturbance opener configuration (10% seed bed utilization). Eleven commonly grown Saskatchewan crops (wheat, barley, canary seed, flax, canola, mustard, field pea, chickpea, drybean, alfalfa, brome grass), for which tolerance to regular seed-placed P fertilization was determined in a previous 1 year ADF project, will be placed in the furrows in the soil. The treatment comparisons were be conventional 12-51-0 fertilizer versus the a polymer coated controlled release P fertilizer. Eight different rates of fertilizer were used, and treatments were be replicated six times under two different moisture regimes: high evaporative loss and low evaporative loss. Parameters measured will be emergence counts, plant biomass after one month, and phosphorus uptake. Supply rates of P will also be measured using PRS probes. Combinations of P fertilizer alone and with 15 kg K2O/ha placed in the seed-row will be evaluated to determine the tolerance and response of the crops to both P and K in the seed-row.

IPNI-2006-CAN-SK37

17 Feb 2006

Objectives

  1. To evaluate the effectiveness of a new controlled release P fertilizer product in increasing recovery of phosphorus by Saskatchewan crops and allowing higher rates of fertilizer P to be safely placed in the seed-row for sensitive crops in a low disturbance seeding configuration.
  2. To determine the crop tolerance and response to combined phosphorus and potassium fertilizer placed together in the seed-row as a starter source of nutrient.