Early Supplies of Available Nitrogen to Seed‐Row of a Canola Crop as Affected by Fertilizer Placement

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted at Star City (legal location SW6‐45‐16‐W2); Saskatchewan, Canada from May 2000 to June 2000, to measure nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) supply rates from fertilizer bands to the seed‐row of canola crop. Ion exchange resin membrane probes (PRS^TM) were used to measure N and P supply rates in four treatments [80 kg N ha⁻¹ of urea as side‐row band, 80 kg N ha⁻¹ of urea as mid‐row band, check/no N (side‐row)/P side‐row, check/no N (mid‐row)/seed placed P]. The treatments were arranged in a randomized complete block design with four replications. Two anion and cation exchange resin probes (PRS^TM) were placed in each plot in the seed‐row immediately after seeding and fertilizing. The probes were allowed to remain in the field for 2 days and replaced with another set of probes every 4 days for a total of 14 days until canola emerged. Ammonium‐N, nitrate‐N and P supply rates were calculated based on the ion accumulated on the probes. Urea side‐row band treatments (fertilizer N 2.5 cm to side of every seed‐row) had significantly higher cumulative available N supply rates than mid‐row band placement in which fertilizer N was placed 10 cm from the seed‐row in between every second seed‐row. No significant differences were observed in P supply rates. The higher N rates (120 kg N ha⁻¹) resulted in lower grain yield in side‐row banding than mid‐row banding possibly due to seedling damage. However, the earlier fluxes of N into the seed‐row observed with side‐row banding may be an advantage at lower N rates in N deficient soils.

Keywords:

• Ion exchange
• Resin membrane probes (PRS^TM)
• Side‐row band
• Mid‐row band

Acknowledgments

The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support of Western Grains Research Foundation and the Center for Studies in Agriculture, Low and the Environment, University of Saskatchewan.