Objective
To demonstrate the ability of contrasting fertilizer formulations of phosphorus (P) fertilizer and biological inoculants to improve phosphorus uptake in flax across a wide range of Saskatchewan environments.
Project Description
There has long been a need for Saskatchewan farmers to have profitable broadleaf alternatives to canola and, with legume crops having their own production issues and place in crop rotations, flax is an excellent option that is both well-adapted and has a long history of production in Saskatchewan and the Canadian Prairies as a whole. That said, flax production has challenges of its own, one of which is phosphorus (P) fertility management and consistently achieving high yields, particularly when in rotation with canola. The problem with growing flax in rotation with canola is that canola does not form symbiotic relationships with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and AMF networks tend to die off when it is grown. Flax has a reputation for being highly dependent on AMF for resource uptake (especially immobile nutrients such as P) and not responding particularly well to P fertilizer applications. As such, flax may benefit from either alternative P fertilizer formulations (i.e., MicroEssentials® S15 or MAP + MST®) or biological products that can assist with and promote the uptake of P, regardless of whether the P is coming from the soil or banded fertilizer. This project aims to benefit Saskatchewan farmers by demonstrating flax response to novel P formulations, alone or in combination with either AMF or P solubilizing biological inoculants, for a wide range of Saskatchewan environments. In addition to increasing awareness and generating discussion around the potential benefits and limitations of these products (both the P fertilizer formulations and biological inoculants), we hope to identify how the flax response to them may differ as a function of soil characteristics and/or weather conditions.
Enhanced Phosphorus Uptake in Flax through Novel Fertilizer Forms and Biological Inoculants – Year 1
