Forage Rejuvenation with Phosphorus Fertilizer
Evaluate the management of dry and fluid P fertilizers, applied with N fertilizer, to restore the productivity of low producing forage stands in Saskatchewan.
IPNI-2003-CAN-SK35
09 May 2003
Justification
- Established forage stand productivity is seriously limited by nutrient supply in most areas of western Canada. While only limited acres of forage crops are fertilized, past research has shown it to be one of the most responsive crops to N application. Soil P depletion is often the factor that leads to low stand productivity, with the forage crop extracting all of the plant-available P from the soil, limiting N response. Long-term forage stand management has been shown to be possible with balanced fertilization. The use of fertilizers to restore the productivity requires closer evaluation, given the high cost and erosion hazard that comes with forage stand termination and re-establishment.