On-farm Evaluation of Potassium Chloride using Combine Yield Monitors
The addition of potassium (K) fertilizer to starter fertilizer blends is becoming a common practice in many areas of western Canada with high soil test K levels. Specific crops, such as malting barley and high yielding spring wheat, are commonly cited as examples of crops that benefit from this starter K. On-farm replicated strip trial projects were initiated to evaluate crop response to starter potassium chloride (KCl) application with the use of combine yield monitors.
IPNI-2000-CAN-SK28
01 May 2002
2001 Annual Interpretive Summary
On-Farm Evaluation of Potassium Chloride Using Combine Yield Monitors, 2001
The addition of potassium (K) fertilizer to starter fertilizer blends is becoming a common practice in many areas of western Canada with high soil test K levels. Specific crops, such as malting barley and high yielding spring wheat, are commonly cited as examples of crops that benefit from this starter K. However, there are no research results to support this practice or recommendation by fertilizer dealers. It is argued that this type of crop response reported by farmers and dealers indicates that the current soil testing methods may need to be reassessed on these soils. On-farm replicated strip trial projects were initiated to evaluate crop response to starter potassium chloride (KCl) application with the use of combine yield monitors.
Field trials were conducted on heavy clay soils which, when evaluated with a variety of soil testing procedures, resulted in K recommendations of 0 to 50 lb K2O/A. The 2001 trials were hampered by severe drought conditions at all of the locations. On one farm, where durum wheat yields of less than 8 bu/A were harvested, the largest recorded yield difference was associated with variations in the pattern of snow accumulation the winter before. Two other trials, with fallow durum yields of 20 and 50 bu/A, showed no response to added starter K. Field trials evaluating starter K will be continued in 2002. SK-28