Disposition of nitrogen in the soil-plant system for flax and spring wheat-containing rotations in the Brown soil zone

1996 ◽  
Vol 76 (3) ◽  
pp. 407-412 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. A. Campbell ◽  
R. P. Zentner
Keyword(s):  
Soil Water ◽  
Spring Wheat ◽  
Plant Biomass ◽  
N Uptake ◽  
Triticum Aestivum L ◽  
Wheat Crop ◽  
Hard Red Spring Wheat ◽  
Brown Soil ◽  
Linum Usitatissimum L ◽  
Soil Zone

Recently, there has been a marked increase in the production of oilseed crops instead of hard red spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) in the semiarid Brown soil zone of Saskatchewan. In this study we compare the disposition of N and soil water in two 3-yr fallow-containing crop rotations, one with flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) and wheat, and the other with only wheat. These rotations were initiated at Swift Current, Saskatchewan, in 1967 on a silt loam soil, but this assessment applied to the 1985 to 1995 period when complete soil water, NO3-N, and plant N measurements were collected. Flax grown on fallow produced less plant biomass and N uptake was lower than for wheat grown on fallow; thus, it left more NO3-N and water in the soil (especially in the 60–120 cm depth) at harvest. This residual NO3-N and water following flax rarely resulted in higher grain yields or higher grain N concentrations in the succeeding stubble-wheat crop. We hypothesized that this excess NO3-N and water may leach and thereby increase contamination of groundwater. Key words: NO3-N, soil water, N uptake, grain yield, straw yield, grain protein

Indianhead black lentil as green manure for wheat rotations in the Brown soil zone

1996 ◽  
Vol 76 (3) ◽  
pp. 417-422 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. P. Zentner ◽  
C. A. Campbell ◽  
V. O. Biederbeck ◽  
F. Selles
Keyword(s):  
Soil Water ◽  
Green Manure ◽  
Cropping Systems ◽  
N Uptake ◽  
Triticum Aestivum L ◽  
Canadian Prairies ◽  
Hard Red Spring Wheat ◽  
Brown Soil ◽  
Growing Seasons ◽  
Soil Zone

Frequent use of summerfallow (F) to reduce the water deficit associated with cereal cropping in the Canadian prairies has resulted in severe erosion and a reduction in N-supplying power of the soils. It has been suggested that it may be feasible to use annual legumes as green manure (GM) to supply the N requirements and snow trapping to enhance soil water recharge for a subsequent cereal crop. Our objective was to test the feasibility of employing this management strategy for the Brown soil zone of southwestern Saskatchewan, by comparing yields and N uptake of hard red spring wheat (W) (Triticum aestivum L.) grown in a 3-yr rotation with Indianhead black lentil (Lens culinaris Medikus) (i.e., GM-W-W) with that obtained in a monoculture wheat system (i.e., F-W-W). Both cropping systems were operated for 6 yr, from 1988 to 1993, with all phases of the rotations present each year. The results showed that grain yields of wheat after GM were generally significantly (P < 0.05) lower than those after F, primarily because the GM reduced the reserves of available spring soil water. These results occurred despite the fact that five of the six growing seasons had above average precipitation. Yields of wheat grown on stubble were unaffected by rotation. Grain N concentration was greater for wheat grown on GM partial-fallow than for wheat grown on conventional-F in the final 3 yr of the study which was due mainly to the lower wheat yields in the GM system (i.e., yield dilution). Our results suggest that, for annual legume GM to be used successfully in the Brown soil zone, producers should seed it as early as possible (late April to early May) and terminate the growth of the legume by the first week of July, even if this means foregoing some N2 fixation. Key words: Summerfallow, soil water, grain protein, N content, soil nitrogen

Impact of tillage and landscape position on nitrogen availability and yield of spring wheat in the Brown soil zone in southwestern Saskatchewan

1998 ◽  
Vol 78 (3) ◽  
pp. 563-572 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. Jowkin ◽  
J. J. Schoenau
Keyword(s):  
Spring Wheat ◽  
Nitrogen Availability ◽  
N Uptake ◽  
Wheat Crop ◽  
N Availability ◽  
Inorganic N ◽  
Brown Soil ◽  
Soil Zone ◽  
No Till ◽  
Crop N Uptake

Nitrogen availability to a spring wheat crop was examined in the cropping season in a side-by-side comparison of no-till (first year) and tillage fallow in an undulating farm field in the Brown soil zone in southwestern Saskatchewan. Thirty different sampling points along a grid in each tillage landscape were randomly selected, representing 10 each of shoulder, footslope and level landscape positions. Nitrogen availability was studied i) by profile inorganic N content ii) by crop N uptake and yield of spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and iii) by 15N tracer technique and in situ burial of anion exchange resin membranes (AEM).Pre-seeding available moisture content of the surface soil samples was significantly higher under no-till compared with tillage fallow. However, no significant differences in pre-seeding profile total inorganic N, crop N uptake and yield were observed between the treatments. At the landform scale, shoulder positions of the respective tillage systems had lower profile inorganic N, crop N uptake and yield compared with other slope positions. Soil N supply power, as determined by 15N tracer and AEM techniques, was not significantly different between the tillage treatments, indicating that N availability is not likely to be greatly affected in initial years by switching to no-till fallow in these soils under normal moisture conditions. Key words: Summerfallow, landscape, nitrogen, wheat

Factors influencing grain N concentration of hard red spring wheat in the semiarid prairie

1997 ◽  
Vol 77 (1) ◽  
pp. 53-62 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. A. Campbell ◽  
F. Selles ◽  
R. P. Zentner ◽  
B. G. McConkey ◽  
R. C. McKenzie ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Use ◽  
Spring Wheat ◽  
Soil Test ◽  
Fertilizer N ◽  
Degree Days ◽  
Hard Red Spring Wheat ◽  
Brown Soil ◽  
Soil Zone ◽  
Factors Influencing ◽  
N Concentration

Prairie producers are now being rewarded with significant premiums for producing wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) of high protein concentration. We analyzed data from two 12-yr experiments conducted on a medium-textured Orthic Brown Chernozem at Swift Current, Saskatchewan, to determine and quantify factors influencing grain N concentration of hard red spring wheat grown on stubble land. Results of one of the 12-yr studies, a snow management × fertilizer N, zero-tillage experiment, showed that under hot, dry conditions, grain N concentration was very high and increased with moderate rates of fertilizer N (FN), then levelled off at higher rates of N. Under cool, wet conditions, grain N first decreased (due to N dilution by yield) then increased with further addition of FN. Under warm intermediate moisture conditions, grain N concentration increased at moderate rates in response to FN. Data for the two 12-yr experiments were pooled and multiple regression, with backward elimination, and stepwise selection used to develop the relationship:Grain N (g kg−1) = −7.63 + 0.05 WU − 0.000094 WU2 + 0.30 SN − 0.0022 SN2 − (0.0010 SN × WU) + (0.0017 FN × SN) + 0.0189 DD (R2 = 0.64, P = 0.001, n = 262)where WU = water use (mm), SN = soil test N (kg ha−1), FN = (kg ha−1), and DD = degree-days >5 °C (°C-days) from 1 May to 31 August. WU was available spring soil water in 0- to 1.2-m depth plus 1 May to 31 July precipitation, and SN was NO3-N in the 0- to 0.6-m depth, measured in the fall. We attempted to validate this model using data from a long-term crop rotation and a fertilizer trial experiment in the Brown soil zone, a tillage × rotation experiment in the Dark Brown soil zone in Saskatchewan, and an irrigation × N fertilizer experiment in the Brown soil zone of southern Alberta. Validation met with only modest success (R2 up to 0.70, P = 0.001). Generally, estimated grain N concentrations were lower than the measured values. Water use (negatively related) and temperature (DD) (positively related) were the most important factors influencing grain N, while FN and SN (positively related) were much less important. Because of the complexity of response in grain N to the aforementioned factors, and since farmers cannot predict weather conditions, fertilizer management to achieve high protein remains a challenge under dryland conditions. Key words: Soil test N, fertilizer N, available water, degree-days

Yield and water use of paired-row versus equidistant-row seeded spring wheat in a semiarid environment

1992 ◽  
Vol 72 (2) ◽  
pp. 459-463 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. W. Cutforth ◽  
F. Selles
Keyword(s):  
Triticum Aestivum ◽  
Grain Yield ◽  
Water Use ◽  
Spring Wheat ◽  
Triticum Aestivum L ◽  
Row Spacing ◽  
Semiarid Environment ◽  
Brown Soil ◽  
Soil Zone ◽  
Days To Maturity

A field study was carried out to determine the effects of seed row configuration on days to maturity, water use and grain yield of spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L. ’Leader’) grown in a semiarid environment. From 1986 to 1989, Leader spring wheat was seeded at Swift Current, Saskatchewan in north-south equidistant-rows (25-cm row spacing) and paired-rows (two rows 10 cm apart with 50 cm between the centre of each paired row). Seed and fertilizer were applied at recommended rates for the Brown soil zone. There were no significant differences (P > 0.10) in grain yield, water use or days to maturity between equidistant-row and paired-row seeding. The data suggest that under the environmental conditions of the Brown soil zone paired-row seeding may have no agronomic advantage over equidistant-row seeding.Key words: Paired-row seeding, water use, grain yield, spring wheat

Economics of fertilizer-N management for zero-tillage continuous spring wheat in the Brown soil zone

1992 ◽  
Vol 72 (4) ◽  
pp. 981-995 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. P. Zentner ◽  
F. Selles ◽  
C. A. Campbell ◽  
K. Handford ◽  
B. G. McConkey
Keyword(s):  
Risk Aversion ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Spring Wheat ◽  
Triticum Aestivum L ◽  
Zero Tillage ◽  
Fertilizer N ◽  
Soil Zone ◽  
Medium Risk ◽  
N Management ◽  
Wheat Price

Optimum use of fertilizer inputs requires consideration of factors that influence plant response and those that govern the decisions of producers. The response of spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) to soil water and fertilizer N (FN) was assessed in a 9-yr zero-tillage study conducted on a medium-texture, Orthic Brown Chernozem at Swift Current, Saskatchewan. These data were used to assess the economic merit and risk considerations of alternative fertilizer-N management systems when combined with snow-trapping to enhance soil-water reserves. The fertilizer-N systems included rates from 0 to 100 kg ha−1; spring versus fall applications, and deep banding versus surface broadcasting. Tall trap strips of cereal stubble (40–60 cm tall by 90–120 cm wide, spaced every 6 m and running perpendicular to prevailing winds) were used for snow trapping and compared with stubble cut at a uniform standard height of 15–20 cm. The results showed that optimum fertilizer-N rates (FN) varied directly with soil-water (SW) reserves (available water in 0–120-cm depth measured in spring) and the probability distribution for 1 May to 31 July precipitation, and inversely with soil N (SN) (NO3 N in 0–60-cm depth measured in the previous fall), ratio of fertilizer-N cost to wheat price, and the level of risk aversion held by producers. The optimum FNs were highest for spring and fall banding; they were 3–14 kg ha−1 lower for spring broadcasting and 7–22 kg ha−1 lower with fall broadcasting. The optimum rates increased 3.7–5.7 kg N ha−1 for each 10-mm increase in SW, with the higher rates associated with high SN. The FNs declined 5 kg ha−1 for each additional year that the land was cropped continuously. For producers seeking to maximize expected profit or those with low risk aversion, the optimum FNs were considerably higher than those recommended by the Saskatchewan Soil Testing Laboratory (SSTL). In contrast, the FNs for producers with high risk aversion were generally lower than those of SSTL. The SSTL-recommended rates were most appropriate for producers with medium risk aversion. The study found no single combination of timing and method of fertilizer-N placement to be superior in all cases. Spring and fall banding generally provided higher net margins than broadcasting fertilizer N when SW and wheat prices were high, whereas spring broadcasting was best when SW and wheat prices were lower. The economic benefit from snow trapping averaged $9–$32 ha−1 depending on FN and wheat price; however, there was little benefit or a small loss in some years when infiltration of meltwater was low or winter snowfall was minimal.Key words: Yield, fertilizer N, soil water, optimum rates, riskiness, profit

CDC Makwa hard red spring wheat

1992 ◽  
Vol 72 (1) ◽  
pp. 225-227
Author(s):  
G. R. Hughes ◽  
P. Hucl
Keyword(s):  
Triticum Aestivum ◽  
Spring Wheat ◽  
Triticum Aestivum L ◽  
Hard Red Spring Wheat ◽  
Brown Soil ◽  
Cultivar Description

CDC Makwa is a hard red spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivar which performs best in the Brown and Dark Brown soil zones of Saskatchewan and Alberta. CDC Makwa yields, on average, 3% more than Katepwa and is similar in maturity and quality.Key words: Cultivar description, Triticum aestivum L., wheat (spring)

Regression model for predicting yield of hard red spring wheat grown on stubble in the semiarid prairie

1997 ◽  
Vol 77 (1) ◽  
pp. 43-52 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. A. Campbell ◽  
F. Selles ◽  
R. P. Zentner ◽  
B. G. McConkey ◽  
S. A. Brandt ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Use ◽  
Spring Wheat ◽  
Soil Testing ◽  
Soil Test ◽  
Fertilizer N ◽  
Degree Days ◽  
Hard Red Spring Wheat ◽  
Brown Soil ◽  
Testing Laboratories ◽  
Soil Zone

Soil testing laboratories require predictive equations to make accurate fertilizer recommendations to cereal producers in the Canadian prairies. We used results from two 12-yr experiments (one studying snow management × fertilizer rates, and the other a tillage experiment), conducted on a medium-textured Orthic Brown Chernozem at Swift Current, Saskatchewan, to develop a regression model to estimate grain yield of hard red spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) grown on stubble. Stepwise regression, with backward elimination, was used to develop the relationship:Y = 1006 + 10.53 WU − 0.017 WU2 + 5.52 FN − 0.095 FN2 − 33.16 SN + 0.436 SN2 − (0.112 FN × SN) + (0.057 FN × WU) + (0.159 SN × WU) − 1.26 DD (R2 = 0.89, P = 0.001, n = 262)where Y = grain yield (kg ha−1), WU = estimated water use (mm), SN = soil test N (kg ha−1), FN = rate of fertilizer N (kg ha−1), and DD = degree days >5 °C (°C-days). Water use was available spring water in the 0- to 1.2-m depth plus 1 May to 31 July precipitation + irrigation, and SN was NO3-N in 0- to 0.6-m depth, measured in fall. We validated this model using data from two other experiments in the Brown soil zone and one in the Dark Brown soil zone in Saskatchewan, and an irrigation × N rate experiment in the Brown soil zone in southern Alberta. The results showed that this model will provide reasonable yield estimates for fine-, medium- and coarse-textured soils, when SN ≤ 55 kg ha−1, over a wide range of water use. We recommend that this equation be tested by colleagues who have appropriate data and be considered for use by soil testing laboratories in Saskatchewan, Alberta, Montana and the Dakotas. Key words: Multiple regression, soil test N, fertilizer N, water use, degree-days

LEADER HARD RED SPRING WHEAT

1982 ◽  
Vol 62 (1) ◽  
pp. 231-232 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. M. De PAUW ◽  
D. S. McBEAN ◽  
S. R. BUZINSKI ◽  
T. F. TOWNLEY-SMITH ◽  
J. M. CLARKE ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Triticum Aestivum ◽  
Spring Wheat ◽  
Amylase Activity ◽  
Triticum Aestivum L ◽  
Alpha Amylase ◽  
Wheat Stem Sawfly ◽  
Hard Red Spring Wheat ◽  
Low Level ◽  
Brown Soil

Leader hard red spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) combines resistance to the wheat stem sawfly with a low level of alpha-amylase activity. It is adapted to the Brown soil zones of Alberta and Saskatchewan.

Nitrate leaching as influenced by fertilization in the Brown soil zone

1993 ◽  
Vol 73 (4) ◽  
pp. 387-397 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. A. Campbell ◽  
R. P. Zentner ◽  
F. Selles ◽  
O. O. Akinremi
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Nitrate Leaching ◽  
Root Zone ◽  
N Uptake ◽  
Triticum Aestivum L ◽  
N Leaching ◽  
Fertilizer N ◽  
Brown Soil ◽  
Soil Zone ◽  
N Rates

The possibility of nitrates being leached into groundwater supplies from improper use of fertilizers is a concern to society. Two experiments were conducted on a loam soil in the Brown soil zone at Swift Current, Saskatchewan. In the first experiment, continuous wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), grown under various fertilizer-N management systems and with and without cereal trap strips (tall stubble, 0.4–0.6 m) to capture snow and enhance soil-moisture storage, was compared with short stubble cut at the standard height (0.15–0.2 m). Prior to seeding in spring 1991, tall stubble had stored 14.7 ha-cm of soil moisture at 0–1.2-m depth compared with 10.9 ha-cm under short-stubble treatment. Because growing-season precipitation in 1991 was much higher than normal (302 mm from 1 May to 31 My), considerable NO3-N was leached below the rooting zone of wheat (1.2 m), particularly in the tall-stubble treatment. Leaching patterns were as expected in short stubble, with major leaching occurring only at the highest N rate (125 kg ha−1), where yield and N-uptake response had levelled off. However, in tall stubble, the amount of NO3-N leached beyond the root zone under the 0 and 25 kg N ha−1 rates was similar to that under the 125 kg N ha−1 rate. This result was attributed to poor tillering obtained at low N rates, which contributed to lower evapotranspiration, thereby permitting more moisture to be leached and enhancing N mineralization. When we used a leaching model (NLEAP) to simulate our results, it gave lower estimates of NO3 leached and did not reveal the interaction of NO3-N leaching with N rates that was observed under tall stubble. The second experiment measured soil NO3-N distribution to 2.4 m under two fallow–wheat–wheat systems after a 24-yr period. One system received only N, the other, N + P fertilizer. The results corroborated those obtained under tall stubble in the first experiment: the poorly fertilized system had the most NO3-N below the root zone. The results of this study suggest that the key to reducing nitrate leaching is the adoption of proper fertilization practices, since too little fertilization may potentially be as detrimental to groundwater pollution as too much. Key words: Fertilizer N, N uptake, snow management, crop rotations, NO3 leaching

Conway hard red spring wheat

1992 ◽  
Vol 72 (1) ◽  
pp. 221-223 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. R. Hughes ◽  
P. Hucl
Keyword(s):  
Triticum Aestivum ◽  
Spring Wheat ◽  
Triticum Aestivum L ◽  
Hard Red Spring Wheat ◽  
Brown Soil ◽  
Cultivar Description

Conway is a hard red spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivar which is best adapted to the Brown and Dark Brown soil zones of Saskatchewan and Alberta. Conway matures a day earlier than Neepawa and yields 2–3% more.Key words: Cultivar description, Triticum aestivum L., wheat (spring)

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