Class

Article

College

College of Agriculture and Applied Sciences

Faculty Mentor

Grant Cardon

Presentation Type

Poster Presentation

Abstract

Soluble phosphorus is fixed rapidly after application as a fertilizer on calcareous soils. A fertilizer additive known as AVAIL® is purported to keep applied phosphorus more available to plants by binding soil cations, thereby reducing the opportunity for fixation reactions. In a soil high in base cations, this could prove useful, but is fairly unstudied for dryland wheat production on calcareous soils. Applying reduced rates of phosphate fertilizers with AVAIL® have resulted in greater yields for potato, compared to the full-recommended rate without AVAIL®. The objective of this study is to evaluate the effect of low-rate fertilizer treatments with AVAIL® on dryland small grain yield on calcareous, eroded hillslopes. Two experiments have been, or are being conducted to determine the effects of AVAIL® on yield and grain quality for (1) spring broadcast application of mono-ammonium phosphate (11-52-0) fertilizer (performed in 2017), and (2) fall band application of mono-ammonium phosphate at planting (in progress in 2018). Fertilizer treatments are the recommended rate or one-half the recommended rate for dryland small grain, with or without AVAIL® (four treatments) replicated four times in a randomized block design (blocked on erosional severity). The erosional severity blocks (non-eroded, slightly eroded, highly eroded, and depositional slope segments) were subjectively determined based on catena position and hill peak position. Segmenting the hillslope allows us to investigate correlations between calcium carbonate content, organic matter content, and yield across the fertilizer treatments. Results from the 2017 study (broadcast applied fertilizer) indicate that there is no statistically significant yield advantage of any fertilizer treatment at any level of erosional severity. Results for the 2017 study, and changes to the study design for 2018 will be discussed.

Location

The North Atrium

Start Date

4-12-2018 10:30 AM

End Date

4-12-2018 11:45 AM

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Apr 12th, 10:30 AM Apr 12th, 11:45 AM

AVAIL® Treated Phosphorus Rate Effects as a function of Erosion Severity on Dryland Winter Wheat in a Calcareous Soil

The North Atrium

Soluble phosphorus is fixed rapidly after application as a fertilizer on calcareous soils. A fertilizer additive known as AVAIL® is purported to keep applied phosphorus more available to plants by binding soil cations, thereby reducing the opportunity for fixation reactions. In a soil high in base cations, this could prove useful, but is fairly unstudied for dryland wheat production on calcareous soils. Applying reduced rates of phosphate fertilizers with AVAIL® have resulted in greater yields for potato, compared to the full-recommended rate without AVAIL®. The objective of this study is to evaluate the effect of low-rate fertilizer treatments with AVAIL® on dryland small grain yield on calcareous, eroded hillslopes. Two experiments have been, or are being conducted to determine the effects of AVAIL® on yield and grain quality for (1) spring broadcast application of mono-ammonium phosphate (11-52-0) fertilizer (performed in 2017), and (2) fall band application of mono-ammonium phosphate at planting (in progress in 2018). Fertilizer treatments are the recommended rate or one-half the recommended rate for dryland small grain, with or without AVAIL® (four treatments) replicated four times in a randomized block design (blocked on erosional severity). The erosional severity blocks (non-eroded, slightly eroded, highly eroded, and depositional slope segments) were subjectively determined based on catena position and hill peak position. Segmenting the hillslope allows us to investigate correlations between calcium carbonate content, organic matter content, and yield across the fertilizer treatments. Results from the 2017 study (broadcast applied fertilizer) indicate that there is no statistically significant yield advantage of any fertilizer treatment at any level of erosional severity. Results for the 2017 study, and changes to the study design for 2018 will be discussed.