Abstract
In the Canadian Prairies, many soils on organic farms are low in available phosphorus (P). Previous research has shown that wheat species/cultivars vary in their sensitivity to P deficiency, yield response to applied P fertilizer, P uptake and P use efficiency on P-deficient soils. A 3-year field experiment was conducted from 2012 to 2014 on a P-deficient soil at Kelvington, Saskatchewan, Canada, to determine the potential of five wheat species/cultivars (Spelt and Kamut representing “ancient”, Red Fife representing “old”, and Unity and Goodeve representing “modern” wheat species/cultivars) for seed yield, protein concentration (PC) in seed, partial factor of productivity (PFP, kg seed kg-1 of N applied), total N and P uptake, P use efficiency (PUE, kg seed kg-1 of P applied) and % recovery of applied P in seed under zero-P and with P fertilizer (triple superphosphate) applied at 20 kg P ha-1. Seed yield, PFP and PUE were determined in all 3 years, but PC, total N and P uptake, and % recovery of applied P in seed were determined only in 2012. There was a marked and significant response of seed yield and PFP of all wheat species/cultivars to P fertilizer in all 3 years, but the actual seed yield and PFP, without and with applied P fertilizer, as well as PUE, varied with species/cultivar in different years. On the average of 3 years, seed yield and PFP were greatest for Unity in both without and with applied P fertilizer treatments. Seed yield increases from applied P were 1111, 773, 890, 1810 and 2028 kg·ha-1, respectively, for Spelt, Kamut, Red Fife, Unity and Goodeve. Total N and P uptake were lowest for Kamut and greatest for Unity or Goodeve, in both without and with applied P fertilizer treatments. Percent recovery of applied P in seed was greatest for Goodeve or Unity and lowest for Spelt or Kamut. Protein concentration in seed usually decreased with P fertilizer, and wheat species/cultivars with higher PC in seed usually showed greater reduction in PC with P application. In conclusion, the findings suggest that the “modern” wheat species/cultivars Unity or Goodeve might be more suitable for high sustainable seed yield and total P or N uptake than the “ancient” wheat species Spelt and Kamut or the “old” wheat cultivar Red Fife, especially when adequate amount of P fertilizer is applied to optimize crop production on a P-deficient soil.
Highlights
In the Canadian Prairies, most soils on organic farms are deficient in available nitrogen (N), many soils are low in available phosphorus (P), and some soils contain insufficient amounts of available sulphur (S) for optimum crop yields
The findings suggest that the “modern” wheat species/cultivars Unity or Goodeve might be more suitable for high sustainable seed yield and total P or N uptake than the “ancient” wheat species Spelt and Kamut or the “old” wheat cultivar Red Fife, especially when adequate amount of P fertilizer is applied to optimize crop production on a P-deficient soil
In a 3-year study on a P-deficient soil in northeastern Saskatchewan, Malhi et al [1] found that rock phosphate fertilizer, Penicillium bilaiae or MykePro were not very effective in preventing/correcting P deficiency in barley even after three consecutive annual applications, while there was a limited success from wood ash and bone meal ash
Summary
In the Canadian Prairies, most soils on organic farms are deficient in available nitrogen (N), many soils are low in available phosphorus (P), and some soils (mostly in the Parkland region) contain insufficient amounts of available sulphur (S) for optimum crop yields. If soils are deficient in available P, the only alternative is to use external sources to prevent P deficiency Manure can provide this nutrient, but usually there is not enough manure to apply on all farm fields, in remote areas because of the high cost of transporting manure long distances. On P-deficient soils, rock phosphate fertilizer, wood ash (waste product of industry), bone meal ash and microbial inoculants/products (JumpStart®-Penicillium bilaiae and MYKE®PRO) have been suggested to be used as sources of P to correct P deficiency. In a 3-year study on a P-deficient soil in northeastern Saskatchewan, Malhi et al [1] found that rock phosphate fertilizer, Penicillium bilaiae or MykePro were not very effective in preventing/correcting P deficiency in barley even after three consecutive annual applications, while there was a limited success from wood ash and bone meal ash. Further research is needed to investigate other new techniques to prevent P deficiency in crops on organic farms
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