Assessing the chloride fertilizer requirements of barley and wheat grown on Manitoba soils

Assess the chloride fertility status of Manitoba soils and determine the effects of chloride fertilization on plant nutrition, plant disease and yield of wheat and barley.

IPNI-1988-CAN-MB2

23 May 2001

Justification

    Chloride application has reduced the severity of plant diseases and increased yields of cereal crops in studies conducted in North and South Dakota and Oregon (Timm et al. 1986; Goos et al. 1987; Fixen et al. 1986a; Fixen et al. 1986b; Christenson and Brett 1985). Yield increase in many of these studies were attributed to decreases in severity of plant diseases such as root rot and tan spot with the addition of chloride.

    In addition to chloride application reducing the severity of diseases, there may be a direct nutritional effect of chloride on crop yields. South Dakota researchers have obtained yield increases to applied chloride on soils low in chloride. The economic returns to chloride application in South Dakota soils low in chloride was $3.20 per dollar invested, even at a wheat price of $2.50 per bushel. Since chloride can be readily leached out of the rooting zone, and many Manitoba soils are sandy and/or well drained, it is highly likely that some Manitoba soils are chloride deficient. In instances, yield increases have been obtained to KCl fertilization in Manitoba on soils containing large amounts of available potassium (Grant 1986). In these instances plant tissues were found to contain adequate concentrations of potassium with and without the added KCl.

    In order to determine whether or not chloride fertilization is profitable in Manitoba, research is required to assess the frequency and magnitude of yield increase to applied chloride. Both the nutritional effects and effects of chloride on plant disease severity needs to be studied. Farmers in Western Canada, Fertilizer Dealers, Agronomist and extension personnel in both government and private agencies desire information on the effects of chloride fertilization on plant nutrition, plant disease severity and yield.