INDIAN HEAD, Sask. — Fertilizer recommendations for oats have typically been on the low side, but a project at the Indian Head Agricultural Research Foundation is looking at what higher application rates can do.
Research manager Chris Holzapfel said oats makes the farm more money than canola three out of five years, yet it gets little respect in terms of inputs.
“There is the perception it is a low input crop,” he said during the recent IHARF field day. “We have been seeing some data that suggests nitrogen response closer to 100 pounds of nitrogen per acre.”
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The common recommendation is 45 to 70 lb.
Holzapfel said that might be enough, but soil nutrients must be depleted coming off of some high-yielding years.
His trial used two nitrogen rates, 50 and 100 lb. per acre, three phosphorus rates of zero, 18 and 36 lb. per acre and two potash rates of either zero or 27 lb.
He said there is no data in current literature regarding phosphorus response in oats.
“I found very little with potash … partly because, I guess, in Saskatchewan we don’t do as much research with potash as we probably should, or we haven’t necessarily had to be-cause our residual level is so high,” Holzapfel said.
Soil tests at the plot site showed only seven lb. per acre of residual phosphorous. The soil was also low in nitrogen.
He said the plots showed a strong response to phosphorus earlier in the season, probably because the level was so low. A height difference was found in the plots with higher phosphorous, and Holzapfel said he would be surprised if it didn’t translate into a yield benefit as well.
“Some of the data that has been produced during high yields has been clearly showing that 50 lb. of nitrogen hasn’t been enough,” he said. “I’m looking forward to seeing the results.”
Too much nitrogen can lower test weights and reduce the chances of obtaining a milling quality grade, which is likely the reason for modest fertility recommendations in the past, Holzapfel said.
His trial is using the Triactor variety, and he said he doesn’t know how sensitive it is to excess nitrogen or whether phosphorus and potash could offset a negative nitrogen effect.
“I do know that this variety stands up really well,” he said.
“Pinnacle has gone down flat and still yielded really, really well, but the Triactor last year went 205 bu. per acre and didn’t even have a lean to it.”
The trial has had one application of fungicide at the flag leaf stage but no other treatments other than the fertility packages.
Holzapfel will complete the quality tests after harvest to determine the effects of the treatments.
