The Influence of Fertilizer Placement on Crop and Weed Ecology in Direct-seeding Systems
Assess the impact of fertilizer placement on weeds in no-till seeding systems.
IPNI-1996-CAN-MB9
15 Mar 2001
Justification
- Direct-seeding systems are the most rapidly evolving agricultural technology in western Canada. Direct economic and soil conservation benefits have been documented at the farm and research level and have become the driving forces behind producer adoption of these conservation-tillage systems. Because the term direct seeding encompasses a broad range of one- and two-pass fertilization and seeding systems, questions have arisen regarding the relative efficiency of these different approaches. The most commonly asked questions relate to the effects of soil disturbance and fertilizer placement on crop yields, weed management, and production economics.
The project will provide a knowledge base for efficient fuel, fertilizer, and herbicide usage thereby optimizing net-returns at a cropping-systems level for the Black Soil Zone. The data generated from this research will be the largest data base dealing in an integrated manner with the impact of fertilizer placement on weeds in direct-seeding systems and will be of interest to producers and the agro-industry. The principles elucidated will have regional and national application. The commercialization of this knowledge will occur through field days, presentation at grower meetings, and through the publication of results in the farm press, industry and extension publications and scientific journals. As decision support systems are developed, this data will be useful for predicting the response of crops, weed communities, and soils to direct-seeding systems and recommending appropriate management options.