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Modernizing Irrigated Crop Nutrient Response Curves

Modernizing Irrigated Crop Nutrient Response Curves

Project Abstract

In the past 20 years, farmers have seen growing yields as a result of more efficient practices along with crops and cultivars that offer higher yields becoming more accessible. However, as these opportunities to improve their economic returns have increased not all metrics have remained modern.

Nutrient recommendations rely on soil testing that is correlated with crop yields; a new crop/cultivar will not has such data, thus the recommendation relies on outdated information. Currently, nutrient recommendations for the majority of irrigated crops grown in Alberta utilize data from previous cultivars.

This study aims to examine the yield response to nutrients in wheat, silage corn, canola, and potatoes grown under irrigation in Alberta. This examination will allow for farmers to receive modernized nutrient recommendations, improving their economic yield and environmental impact.

Project Details

Timeline 2025-2029
Principal Investigator: Ken Coles
Farming Smarter
Project Contact: Mike Gretzinger
Funded By:

Results Driven Agriculture Research - Irrigation Targeted Call



Project Objectives

  • Develop nitrogen response curves for new cultivars of wheat, silage corn, canola and potatoes under irrigation and modern farming practices
  • Create a consistent recommendations for irrigated crops in southern Alberta
  • Increase the adoption of efficient nitrogen fertilizers without decreasing yield in potato, corn, cereals, and canola

Methods

Collaborators

Farming Smarter Research Project Leads
Western Ag Innovation Economic Analysis
Dennis Dey Consultings Scientific Support & Soil Nutrient Testing

Locations

Lethbridge
Barons
Stirling
Taber

Treatments

This project will be carried out over a four-year period and will include four trials as follows, with management practices and quality analyses for each trial outlined in table 1:

  • Trial 1: Irrigated Canola
  • Trial 2: Irrigated Wheat
  • Trial 3: Irrigated Corn
  • Trial 4: Irrigated Potatoes
The trials will take place across up to three locations each year, ideally within fields managed with the same crops for a total of at least 10 site-years per crop (see table 2). The fields selected will be in a low nutrient state prior to starting the trials, as tested by soil sampling.

Each trial will have a Factorial arrangement of Randomized Complete Block Design with two factors that follow the 4Rs:

Right source & Right Place as recommended for each crop: Right Time: Right Rate
  • Nitrogen:
    • Potatoes - broadcast urea with seedbed preparation
    • Corn - in-row starter with phosphorus, side-band urea
    • Wheat & Canola - shallow side-banded with low in-row starter application, followed by in-crop top dressing
  • Phosphorus:
    • All crops - side-banded
  • Only Spring applied
  • Nitrogen (kg/ha actual N):
    • 5 rates per crop - 0, 50, 100, 150, 200
  • Phosphorus:
    • 2 rates per crop - base (recommended industry standard) and boosted (150% recommended)
  • Other nutrients:
    • applied at the recommended rates as per soil test results

In total there will be 2 X 5 = 10 treatments per crop


Soil samples from each site will be submitted to a local soil testing laboratory to determine:

  1. the N soil test level in each field, which will determine its suitability for developing N recommendations (i.e., low soil test levels are preferable for the development of yield response curves), and
  2. the soil test levels of other nutrients (e.g., potassium, sulphur or zinc) that will have to be applied to avoid other nutrient deficiency.

Table 1: Management descriptions for each of the four trials

Crop

Tillage +Seeding

Plant density
(plants sq ft)
Fertilizer Harvest Quality analysis
Trial 1: Commercial Canola Conservation till, planter, 9" row width 8 In-row APP, side band urea Direct Cut + Combine TKW, Oil Content, green seed (NIR)
Trial 2: CWRS Wheat (AAC Brandon) No-till, air drill, 9.5" row width 25 In-row APP, side band urea Direct Cut + Combine Grain protein (NIR), TKW
Trial 3: Silage Corn Conservation till, planter, 30" row width 2 In-row APP, side band urea Forage harvester DM, CP, ADF, cattle energy (NIR)
Trial 4: Potatoes (Russet Burbank) Cultivated, planter + hiller, 36" hill and row width 3 Broadcast urea + MAP Potato Digger Size profile, specific gravity

Table 2: Number of Locations per year for each trial

Trial

Year 1

Locations

Year 2

Locations

Year 3

Locations

Year 4

Locations

Total

Site-Years

Canola 3 3 3 3 12
Wheat 3 3 3 3 12
Corn 2 3 3 3 11
Potatoes 2 2 3 3 10

Measurements

Crop yield and crop quality metrics will be determined on a plot-by-plot basis, which will facilitate a rigorous statistical assessment of crop performance in relation to water allocations.

  • Plant emergence counts (2 x 1m in each plot after establishment)
  • Crop Vigour (wheat: zadocks 31 and 37, canola: 2-4 leaf and cabbage, potatoes: pre-topping, drybean: 4-6 leaf)
  • Canapeo at solstice
  • Biomass at harvest time
  • Lodging (if present), compare treatment effects
  • Crop yield (trim the outer 1m of plot to eliminate edge effects, harvest 2m wide strip or equivalent)
  • Crop quality (see table 1)



Results

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