Nutrient management and balanced fertilization on main crops in Gansu province
IPNI-2006-CHN-GS3
03 Feb 2007
2006 Annual Interpretive Summary
Soil Nutrient Management and Balanced Fertilization in Gansu, 2006
In 2006, the effect of soil test-based fertilizer recommendations on barley, and yield-limiting factors in seed melon, were investigated in Jinchang City. Verification trials for fertilizer recommendations in potato and corn were arranged in Zhangjiachuan County and Dingxi City.
Yield of barley increased by 1,325 kg/ha (28%) over the K omission treatment when 150 kg K2O/ha was applied along with 225 kg N/ha and 225 kg P2O5/ha. Profit increased by US$165/ha and N use efficiency increased from 19% to 41% due to K application. In seed melon, compared with the balanced optimum (OPT) treatment of 150-150-90 kg N-P2O5-K2O/ha, treatments omitting N, P, and K decreased seed yield and profit by 27% (US$218/ha), 45% (US$405/ha) and 32% (US$309/ha), respectively. Application of 105-60-68 kg/ha in potato in Zhangjiachuan produced 5.8 t/ha (24%) more than the N omission treatment, 2.0 t/ha (7%) over the P omission treatment, 0.9 t/ha (3%) more than the K omission treatment, and 5.4 t/ha (22%) more than farmers’ practice using 105 kg N/ha only. In corn in Zhangjiachuan, application of 150-150-150 kg/ha along with 1.5-3.5-3.9 kg zinc (Zn)-B-Fe/ha increased corn yield by 1,257 (12%) over the N omission treatment, 1,780 (19%) over the P omission treatment, 1,465 kg/ha (15%) over the K omission treatment. Profit under the OPT was US$54/ha, US$200/ha, and US$141/ha over the treatments omitting N, P, and K, respectively. Gansu-NMBF