Yield benefit of phosphorus fertilizer for wheat, barley and canola in Alberta

• Published in: Canadian journal of soil science 2003-08, Vol.83 (4), p.431-441
• Main Authors: McKenzie, R.H, Bremer, E, Kryzanowski, L, Middleton, A.B, Solberg, E.D, Heaney, D, Coy, G, Harapiak, J
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: barley; Brassica napus; canola; clay; crops; environmental factors; fertilizer application; Hordeum vulgare; Luvisols; monoammonium phosphate; organic matter; phosphorus fertilizers; prairies; probability; reduced tillage; seed yield; soil pH; spring wheat; Triticum aestivum
• ISSN: 0008-4271; 1918-1841
• DOI: 10.4141/S02-078

Crop responsiveness to P fertilizers on the Canadian Prairies has likely declined during the past three to four decades due to regular application of P fertilizer and reduced tillage. Its relationship to extractable soil P as determined by various soil tests may also have changed. The objective of this study was to evaluate five soil test P methods for three major crops across a wide range of soil types and environmental conditions. Small-plot P fertilizer trials were conducted at 154 locations across Alberta from 1991 through 1993. At each location, fertilizer responses were determined for one, two, or three crops: barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) or canola (Brassica napus L.). Fertilizer treatments consisted of seed-placed monoammonium phosphate at rates of 0, 6.5, 13.1 and 19.6 kg P ha-1. The average increase in seed yield due to application of P fertilizer was 10%, with little difference among crop types. Relative yield increases were significantly greater in Gray soils (Dark Gray Chernozemics, Dark Gray-Gray Luvisols) than in Black (Black Chernozemics) or Brown soi ls (Brown and Dark Brown Chernozemics). The maximum variation in P fertilizer response accounted for by any soil test P was 27% for barley, 15% for wheat and 7% for canola. The Kelowna method and its derivatives generally provided the best fit with P fertilizer response. Only a modest increase in the proportion of variation that could be accounted for by soil test was achieved by multiple regressions with soil pH, clay or organic matter or by separate analyses of different soil types or years. The probability of a profitable yield response due to P fertilizer application did decline with increasing soil test P. However, profitable yield responses were frequent at all levels of soil test P for the first increment of 6.5 kg P ha-1 and low at all levels of soil test P for the third increment of 6.5 kg P ha-1 (19.6 kg P ha-1). The poor relationship of soil test P to fertilizer response was attributed to frequent but variable starter effects of P fertilizer and the infrequent occurrence of highly responsive sites.