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Abstract

To compare the relative efficiency of different fertilisation strategies, malting barley was fertilised with calcium ammonium nitrate (CAN) or compound ammonium nitrate with phosphorus (NP) applied in two ways: broadcast and harrowed into the seedbed before seeding or banded using the Scandinavian combi-drill design, with the fertiliser between every second seed row, and 40 mm below. A fixed nitrogen level (120 kg N ha(-1)) was used, giving four fertiliser treatments. Eleven experiments were carried out the years 1992-1994, with latitudes 55 degrees 55' N as southern and 59 degrees 36' N as northern limit. Fertiliser-use efficiency, defined as grain yield, or grain nitrogen yield, per unit of applied N, was strongly affected by the treatments: values for combi-drilled were higher than for broadcast fertiliser and higher for NP than for CAN, with the effects being additive. The best treatment, using both banding and NP, resulted, as a mean of all trials, in a grain yield increase of 939 kg ha(-1) at 15% moisture content, or a nitrogen yield increase of 18 kg nitrogen ha(-1) compared with the poorest, using broadcast CAN. The N combi-drill effect was expected to be dependent on water availability, but this could not be confirmed when accumulated rainfall during crop establishment was used as test variable. The combi-drill effect was strongest in places where major extractable cations were abundant, possible explanations for this are discussed. Application of P to the crop and the use of combi-drill are recommended for malting barley fertilisation in Sweden.

Keywords

Broadcast; combi-drill; deep drilling; fertiliser-use efficiency; mid-row banding; precipitation; soil cations

Published in

Acta Agriculturae Scandinavica, Section B - Soil and Plant Science
2008, volume: 58, number: 4, pages: 336-344
Publisher: TAYLOR & FRANCIS AS

SLU Authors

UKÄ Subject classification

Soil Science
Agricultural Science

Publication identifier

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/09064710701776450

Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/77916