Application method of nitrogen fertilizer affects weed growth and competition with winter wheat

Abstract

The management of crop fertilization may be an important component of integrated weed management systems. A field study was conducted to determine the effect of various application methods of nitrogen (N) fertilizer on weed growth and winter wheat yield in a zero‐tillage production system. Nitrogen fertilizer was applied at 50 kg ha−1 at the time of planting winter wheat over four consecutive years to determine the annual and cumulative effects. The nitrogen treatments consisted of granular ammonium nitrate applied broadcast on the soil surface, banded 10 cm deep between every crop row, banded 10 cm deep between every second crop row, and point‐injected liquid ammonium nitrate placed between every second crop row at 20 cm intervals and 10 cm depth. An unfertilized control was also included. Density, shoot N concentration and the biomass of weeds was often lower with subsurface banded or point‐injected N than with broadcast N. The winter wheat density was similar with all N fertilizer application methods but wheat shoot N concentration and yield were consistently higher with banded or point‐injected N compared with broadcast N. In several instances, the surface broadcast N did not increase the weed‐infested wheat yield above that of the unfertilized control, indicating that it was the least preferred N application method. Depending on the weed species, the weed seedbank at the conclusion of the 4 year study was reduced by 29–62% with point‐injected N compared with broadcast N. Information gained from this study will be used to develop more integrated weed management programs for winter wheat.