A variety of research is being conducted on the Prairies into fertilizer application and forage crops, including these three Agriculture Canada projects in Saskatchewan:
Balance fertility to improve production and longevity
Sukhdev Malhi, Melfort
Alfalfa is a large consumer of phosphorus, potassium and sulfur. In northeastern Saskatchewan, the crop is grown on approximately 200,000 acres for the dehydrated pellet market.
Alfalfa for seed is grown on more than 120,000 acres in Western Canada.
Alfalfa cannot maintain its original productivity beyond three years of hay production without nutrient inputs. The objective of this project is to determine the influence of balanced fertilizer applications on alfalfa forage production, seed yield and longevity of seed stands.
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Good growing conditions in 2004 resulted in excellent first-cut alfalfa hay yields, ranging from 1.2 tonnes per acre for the check to 2.3 tonnes per acre for the highest yielding treatment. The results showed that phosphorus and sulfur were the major limiting
nutrients.
Second-cut hay yields were lower due to an August frost, ranging from half a tonne to one tonne per acre. Again, increasing the rate of sulfur, along with phosphorus, resulted in highest alfalfa hay yields.
The August frost prevented seed formation of the alfalfa crop, leaving yields of less than 40 pounds per acre at harvest.
The project is scheduled to continue, during which time forage and seed yields will be assessed relative to annual fertilizer applications.
Timothy agronomic practices and quality parameters
Bruce Coulman, Saskatoon
Production of timothy hay for the export market has been a major growth industry in Western Canada over the last 10 years. The effect of annual maintenance applications of phosphorus, potassium and sulfur on timothy yield, persistence and quality, and the effect of copper applications on hay colour is an area that requires supporting data if the industry is to expand.
The objective of this study is to determine the importance of maintenance fertilizer management on timothy’s yield and quality.
In 2003, a trial was seeded at an irrigated site to examine the effect of applying 90, 180 and 240 lb. of P2O5 per acre on timothy hay. Unfortunately, the timothy did not establish in spring or fall.
In 2004, timothy was established on the site and dry matter yields of 2.9 to 3.1 tonnes per acre were harvested. No differences in phosphorus treatments were recorded. Additional phosphorus treatments were applied in the spring of 2005 to monitor yield and quality. Results are not yet available.
Forage rejuvenation with phosphorus fertilizer
Stewart Brandt, Scott
Nutrient supply seriously limits established forage stand productivity in most areas of Western Canada. While only limited acres of forage grass crops are fertilized, past research has shown it to be one of the most responsive crops to nitrogen.
The objective of this study is to evaluate the management of dry and fluid phosphorus fertilizers, applied with nitrogen, to restore the productivity of established, low yielding forage stands.
Final year results indicate a strong forage yield response to phosphorus additions in all three years of the study. Adding only nitrogen resulted in little or no yield increase over the unfertilized check, indicating a phosphorus- limited condition in the field.
Yield response to the added fertilizer was 0.4 tonnes per acre in the first year, 0.8 tonnes per acre in the second year and one tonne per acre in the third year. Annual phosphorus additions result in a progressive increase in forage yields in each year the fertilizer is added.
The best treatment in all years of the study was when the three-year supply of phosphorus was added with the annual nitrogen rate in the first year.
Even though no phosphorus was added in subsequent years, this was always the best yielding treatment.
The results of this study clearly show the benefit of using fertilizer nitrogen and phosphorus to improve old established forage stand yields.
