P and K fertilizer nutrients in forage crops
Only about 15% of the alfalfa grown in western Canada is fertilized annually, and generally with low rates of P. Therefore, P and K are often inadequate to produce the most economic yield. This projects investigates P and K applications to improve alfalfa yield and quality.
IPNI-1989-CAN-MB3
24 May 2001
Methodology
- Two research sites were selected in 1989. The first was a Marringhurst sandy loam soil near Branson and the second a Newdale clay loam soil, near Newdale, MB. Each site had been sown to Algonquin alfalfa three years previously and had been cut for two years. Neither had been fertilized in the previous year. Uniform areas were selected for the experimental site. In 1989, fertilizer was applied to the Marringhurst sandy loam on May 30 and harvests were taken on June 21, July 27 and September 27. Fertilizer was applied to the Newdale clay loam soil on May 26 and harvests were taken on June 27, August 1 and September 27. In 1990, Fertilizer was applied in the first week of May on both sites. Harvests were taken on the Marringhurst soil on June 21, July 27 to August 2 and September 27. On the Newdale soil, harvests were taken on June 19-20 and July 24-26. No third harvest was taken on the Newdale soil in 1990, due to insufficient regrowth. Plant samples were dried, ground and submitted to the laboratory for analysis for N, P and K. Statistical analysis was conducted using the GLM procedure of SAS (SAS Institute 1982).