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
Justification
- Although alfalfa is the predominant forage grown on the Canadian prairies, management of fertilizer applications to produce the optimum yield and quality is often neglected. Only about 15% of the alfalfa grown on the prairies is fertilized annually, and generally with low rates of P. Therefore, P and K are often inadequate to produce the most economic yield. These two nutrients are relatively immobile in the soil, their availability to the plant may be strongly influenced by their method of placement. The P and K that is applied to alfalfa in the prairies is generally applied as a broadcast application, which may limit availability to the plant under dry conditions. This study was undertaken to evaluate the effect of broadcast and banded applications of P and K on the yield and quality of established alfalfa stands.