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

Justification


In low disturbance direct seeding systems, limitations exist on the amount of starter fertilizer phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) that can be safely placed in the seed-row due to narrow opener configurations, yet responses to starter nutrient can be especially pronounced in these systems. A previous one year Agriculture Development Fund (ADF) project “Crop tolerance and response to seed-row phosphorus fertilizer” completed in May 2005 has provided valuable new information on the sensitivity of crops to conventional phosphorus fertilizer placed in the seed-row. New controlled release P fertilizer forms are available that may allow greater rates of fertilizer P to be safely placed in the seed-row and also offer greater recovery of applied fertilizer P. Increased crop recovery of fertilizer P is of benefit economically and environmentally. The proposed one year project, conducted under controlled environment conditions, will examine crop tolerance and response to a new controlled release fertilizer P product, alone and in combination with potassium.