Response of Soybean and Lentil to a Seed-Row Placed Starter Nitrogen-Phosphorus Fertilizer Blend in a Brown Chernozem in South-Central Saskatchewan

Abstract

Soybean and lentil are important legume crops in southern Saskatchewan (SK) that can supply the majority of their nitrogen (N) requirement through biological N fixation (BNF). However, the onset of BNF can be slow in cold ; dry prairie soils and a small amount of seed-row placed fertilizer containing both N and phosphorus (P) may benefit the crop. Nevertheless, high rates of fertilizer in close proximity to the seed can also cause injury. This study was conducted to determine the response of lentil and soybean to a starter N-P fertilizer blend applied in the seed-row. A farm field located at the boundary of the Brown and Dark Brown soil zones in south-central Saskatchewan was selected to evaluate the effect of seed-row placed N-P fertilizer blend: 50% Urea + 50% mono-ammonium phosphate (MAP) applied at 0, 10, 20 and 30 kg N and P 2 O 5 ha -1 on emergence, yield, and nutrient uptake. The proportion of nitrogen derived from fixation (ndff) was determined in the soybean using N-15 dilution technique. The rate of 10 kg N and P 2 O 5 ha -1 was found to be the rate that did not significantly reduce emergence, stand count or proportion of N derived from fixation, and was sufficient to maximize yield, N and P uptake for both soybean and lentil under field conditions. Rates higher than 10 kg N ha -1 in the seed row as starter 28-26-0 blend reduced emergence and decreased the proportion of ndff.