Hangs, R.D.

Schoenau, J.J.

English

University of Saskatchewan Research Archive

Effect of Boron Fertilization on Yield of Canola Following Wheat and Pea on Fourteen Prairie SoilsRyan Hangs and Jeff SchoenauDepartment of Soil Science, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SKMATERIALS & METHODS• A four-factor (soil type, Cu and Zn fertilizer applied to preceding crops, and Bfertilization) factorial experiment was arranged in a CRD, with 4 reps.• Fourteen soils (12 mineral and 2 organic) were collected from Alberta,Saskatchewan, and Manitoba; representing the diversity of arable soil types in theprairies, along with varying initial available soil B levels.• Canola (Brassica napus; InVigor® L252) was seeded and grown to maturity in thegreenhouses located at the U of S research facility on Preston Avenue.• Nine fertilizer treatments applied to canola: unfertilized Control; boric acid banded(1 and 0.5 kg B/ha; mineral and organic soils, respectively) or foliar applied (0.25kg B/ha; at flowering stage); residual banded CuSO4 or chelated-Cu (5 and 1 kgCu/ha, respectively) applied to wheat; banded boric acid in combination withresidual banded ZnSO4 (2.5 kg Zn/ha) or chelated-Zn (0.5 kg Zn/ha) applied to fieldpea; banded boric acid with, and without, residual banded CuSO4 and ZnSO4.• Fertilizer N, P, K, and S were applied to all pots to prevent any deficiencies.• Measurement variables: canola grain and straw biomass.OBJECTIVE• Examine the effect of different rates and application methods of B fertilizer onyield of canola grown in diverse prairie soils with, and without, residual soil Cuand Zn from fertilization of preceding wheat and field pea crops.• Boron (B) is an essential micronutrient involved in many aspects of plant growth(e.g., cell membranes, hormone metabolism, and reproduction).• Canola is the prairie field crop for which B fertilizer recommendations are mostcommonly made.• Sometimes other micronutrients, such as copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn), are applied tocereals and pulses preceding the canola crop. However, little is known regardingthe possible interaction(s) of residual fertilizer Cu and Zn with applied B.INTRODUCTION RESULTS & DISCUSSIONCONCLUSION• Soil properties and a HWE index of soil B availability appear to be of some valuein predicting canola yield response to fertilizer B. Canola grown on two sandy,acidic mineral soils with low organic matter and low HWE B levels respondedpositively to banded B.• The observed contrasting beneficial and deleterious effects of Cu fertilizer appliedfor the preceding crop grown (mineral and organic soils, respectively), andpositive response to residual Zn (organic soils), merit further investigation.• The average hot water extractable (HWE) B level of the 14 soils (1.1 mg B/kg) wasabove the soil test critical level (0.4 mg B/kg), which is consistent with the lack ofoverall canola growth response to added B fertilizer (Fig. 1).• Canola yield response to B fertilization is often inconsistent and difficult topredict. Likewise, in our study, grain yield increased as much as 37% on twosandy (fine sand/sandy loam) acidic (pHs of 5.6/6.4) mineral soils with low organicmatter content (< 2%), along with HWE B levels close to the critical level (0.5/0.4mg B/kg). However, canola growing on three similar soils, with lower initial Blevels (< 0.4 mg B/kg), showed no response.• Foliar B, applied as boric acid, was ineffective (Fig. 1); possibly due to Bimmobility in the plant tissue.• Residual Cu fertilizer (especially the chelated form), applied to the wheat crop twoyears ago, had small but significant contrasting effects on the grain yield ofcanola (Fig. 1): increased yields with mineral soils (18%; probably due to rootdisease inhibition) and decreased yields with organic soils (24%; likely related toreduced Zn supply; data not shown).• Residual Zn fertilizer (both forms), from field pea fertilization the previous year,increased canola yield on the organic soils in combination with B (Fig. 1b).• We are grateful to Western Grains Research Foundation and AAFC Growing Forward 2 AIP for the funding. Manythanks for the logistical support provided by S. Anderson, J. Anderson, R. Avila, J. Babisky, B. Barlow, D. Cubbon, L.Cowell, R. de Freitas, C. Doelger, P. Dmytrew, C. Fatteicher, N. Flore, S. Froese, K. Gudkova, E. Hammermeister, R. andR. Hangs, N. Howse, P. Hrycyk, M. Jaster, R. Kar, R. Karamanos, T. King, S. Klippenstein, G. Kruger, K. Morey, L.Schoenau, M. St. Arnaud, C. Stevenson, B. Swerhone, R. Thomson, G. Topham, R. Urton, R. Usick, and J. Wiens.ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSFigure 1. Mean above-ground canola yield components, following boron (B) fertilization with, andwithout, residual copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn) fertilizers from the previous two years, whengrown to maturity in 12 mineral soils (a; n=48) and 2 organic soils (b; n=8) within agreenhouse. Boric acid was either banded (1.0 and 0.5 kg B/ha, depending on soil type)or foliar applied (0.5 kg B/ha; at flowering stage). Residual Cu and Zn banded fertilizersconsisted of CuSO4, ZnSO4, along with chelated Cu and Zn (0.5 to 5 kg/ha, depending onthe form and soil type). For each component, bars with the same letter are notsignificantly different (P >0.05) using LSD.ba

Effect of boron fertilization on yield of canola following wheat and pea on fourteen prairie soils

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Effect of boron fertilization on yield of canola following wheat and pea on fourteen prairie soils

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