Impact of Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium Chloride Fertilizer Management on the Growth and Yield of Oats
Develop fertilizer management strategies which optimize fertilizer use efficiency for oats in the eastern sub-humid Prairie.
IPNI-2000-CAN-MB12
15 Mar 2001
Methodology
- In 2000, field experiments were established at two sites in the Brandon area containing low to moderate levels of soil nitrate-N and extractable-P (Clay loam soil and sandy loam soil).
Experiments were arranged in a randomized complete block design with four or five replicates. Treatments consisted of a factorial combination of four nitrogen rates (0, 40, 80, 120 kg N ha-1 as urea), three phosphorus rates (0, 30, 60 kg P2O5 ha-1 as monoammonium phosphate) and two KCl rates (0, 40 kg K2O ha-1 as KCl). (For each treatment, N rates were adjusted such that each treatment received a background N application equivalent to the quantity of N supplied by the highest rate of monoammonium phosphate, in addition to the indicated nitrogen rate.) In addition, a control treatment containing no fertilizer was included in the study. Plot dimensions were 3.6 m x 14 m.
Oats (cv. AC Assiniboia) were direct-seeded in late April to early May using a 12' ConservaPak seeder equipped with hoe openers. At time of seeding, urea was sidebanded, and monoammonium phosphate and KCl were placed with the seed. Weeds were controlled using recommended herbicides and rates.
Various crop growth parameters were measured during the growing season:
- Plant density (3-4 leaf stage) and panicle density (after heading)
- Crop lodging, on a scale of 1-9
- Plant height
- Biomass yield tillering stage and at the late boot to early heading stage
- 50 flag leaves were collected from each plot at the late boot to heading stage
- Plant tissue P concentration for tillering samples, and plant tissue N, P and K for heading samples
- Plant nitrogen status was assessed in-season at or near the late boot to early heading stage using a SPAD meter.
- Grain yield
Grain quality parameters including test weight, thousand kernel weight, % plump kernels and % thin kernels.