Evaluation of Phosphate and Nitrogen Fertilizers Treated with Polymer Additives to Increase Fertilizer Efficiency
The Richardson International Kelburn, MB research and demonstration farm was the site of experiments evaluating Avail additive for both dry granular and liquid phosphate fertilizers. there were also experiments evaluating Nutrisphere additive for urea N fertilizer.
IPNI-2008-CAN-MB21
02 Mar 2009
2008 Annual Interpretive Summary
Evaluation of Phosphate and Nitrogen Fertilizers Treated with Polymer Additives to Increase Fertilizer Efficiency in Manitoba, 2008
This project consisted of two field research experiments. One evaluated the effect of adding the Avail® polymer additive to granular and liquid phosphate fertilizers. The second project evaluated the effect of adding the Nutrisphere® polymer additive to granular urea fertilizer. This study was initiated in April 2008.
In the P experiment, eight treatments compared two P fertilizer products [granular monoammonium phosphate (11-52-0) and liquid polyphosphate (10-34-0)], two P rates (15 and 30 kg P2O5/ha), and P fertilizer product with and without the Avail® fertilizer additive. A check treatment (no P fertilizer) was included to determine the overall response to the addition of P. No response to P was observed at the test site and thus no observable differences between the two P fertilizer products (with or without Avail®) or rates of P were found.
In the N experiment, a similar experimental design was used to compare forms of N (urea, Nutrisphere®-treated urea, and Super Urea), two rates of N (60 or 120 kg N/ha), and two N placements, including side-banded N placed 2 in. to the side of the seed row, and surface broadcast just prior to no-till seeding. A no N check was included to determine if there was a response to N. A modest response to N fertilizer, with the check treatment yielding less than the 120 kg N/ha rates of Super Urea and Nutrisphere®-treated urea, 20.7, 34.7, and 31.4 bu/A, respectively. However, no statistical differences were observed between the forms of N, rates of N, or N placements.
An alternate site with lower levels of available P and N is currently being located to repeat the experiments in 2009. MB-21F