Abstract
Abstract Field experiments were conducted from 2000 to 2007 on three-year or older alfalfa stands grown for seed production at various sites in northeastern Saskatchewan to determine the influence of balanced application of phosphorus (P), sulfur (S), or potassium (K) fertilizers on seed yield and longevity of alfalfa stands. Survey trials were also conducted to determine the possible reasons for low seed yields on some alfalfa seed fields by comparing “bad” (i.e., low alfalfa seed-yielding) and “good” (i.e., high alfalfa seed-yielding) areas within alfalfa seed stands. The results of alfalfa seed field survey trials suggest that poor seed yields in “bad” areas compared to “good” areas in most alfalfa stands were due to nutrient deficiencies and/or a soil fertility imbalance, as evidenced by soil tests for available nutrients. The findings of field research experiments indicated that application of P, K, or S fertilizer nutrients was essential to obtain optimum seed yield in most cases under normal soil moisture conditions. This also suggests the importance of balanced fertilization in increasing longevity of alfalfa seed stands over a number of years. In summary, the findings suggest that when a soil is testing low (or deficient) in a nutrient and alfalfa growth is reduced, then alfalfa seed producers should consider application of fertilizers to supply adequate amounts of nutrients lacking in the soil. However, it is still difficult to predict accurately if a profitable alfalfa seed yield response to fertilization would occur, particularly when the soils are testing marginal in some nutrient levels and alfalfa seed yields are often reduced by dry weather conditions and/or frost damage. Keywords: Alfalfabalanced fertilizationphosphoruspotassiumseed yieldsulfur ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The authors thank the Saskatchewan Alfalfa Seed Producers Development Commission (SASPDC) for financial assistance; and Darwin Leach, Linden McFarlane, Clayton Myhre, K. Strukoff, K. Hemstad-Falk, C. Nielsen, and D. Schick for technical assistance. Notes znd refers to not determined. zThere was little or no alfalfa seed yield in 2002, 2004 and 2005, so yields are not reported for these years. y* and *** refer to significant effect in ANOVA at P ≤ 0.05 and P ≤ 0.001, respectively. z*** refers to significant effect in ANOVA at P ≤ 0.001. zns refers to no significant effect in ANOVA. z*, ** and *** refer to significant effect in ANOVA at P ≤ 0.05, P ≤ 0.01, and P ≤ 0.001, respectively. ynd refers to not determined.
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Claims 7
Claim · model-written summary
Low-yield areas were associated with nutrient deficiencies or fertility imbalance.
- Taxon
- alfalfa
Medicago sativae0 - Outcome
- seed yieldse0
- Direction
- poore0
- Qualifier
- nutrient deficiencies and/or a soil fertility imbalancee0
- Comparator
- “good” arease0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“poor seed yields in “bad” areas compared to “good” areas in most alfalfa stands were due to nutrient deficiencies and/or a soil fertility imbalance”
Claim · model-written summary
Phosphorus fertilizer was essential for optimum alfalfa seed yield in most cases under normal moisture.
- Taxon
- ALFALFAMedicago sativat0
- Treatment
- Pe0
- Outcome
- optimum seed yielde0
- Direction
- optimume0
- Qualifier
- in most cases under normal soil moisture conditionse0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“application of P, K, or S fertilizer nutrients was essential to obtain optimum seed yield in most cases under normal soil moisture conditions.”
t0“ALFALFA”
Claim · model-written summary
Potassium fertilizer was essential for optimum alfalfa seed yield in most cases under normal moisture.
- Taxon
- ALFALFAMedicago sativat0
- Treatment
- Ke0
- Outcome
- optimum seed yielde0
- Direction
- optimume0
- Qualifier
- in most cases under normal soil moisture conditionse0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“application of P, K, or S fertilizer nutrients was essential to obtain optimum seed yield in most cases under normal soil moisture conditions.”
t0“ALFALFA”
Claim · model-written summary
Sulfur fertilizer was essential for optimum alfalfa seed yield in most cases under normal moisture.
- Taxon
- ALFALFAMedicago sativat0
- Treatment
- Se0
- Outcome
- optimum seed yielde0
- Direction
- optimume0
- Qualifier
- in most cases under normal soil moisture conditionse0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“application of P, K, or S fertilizer nutrients was essential to obtain optimum seed yield in most cases under normal soil moisture conditions.”
t0“ALFALFA”
Claim · model-written summary
Balanced fertilization may increase longevity of alfalfa seed stands.
- Taxon
- alfalfaMedicago sativae0
- Treatment
- balanced fertilizatione0
- Outcome
- longevity of alfalfa seed standse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“importance of balanced fertilization in increasing longevity of alfalfa seed stands over a number of years.”
Claim · model-written summary
Producers should fertilize deficient soils when alfalfa growth is reduced.
- Taxon
- alfalfaMedicago sativae0
- Outcome
- application of fertilizers to supply adequate amounts of nutrients lacking in the soile0
- Qualifier
- when a soil is testing low (or deficient) in a nutrient and alfalfa growth is reducede0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“when a soil is testing low (or deficient) in a nutrient and alfalfa growth is reduced, then alfalfa seed producers should consider application of fertilizers to supply adequate amounts of nutrients lacking in the soil.”
Claim · model-written summary
Profitability of an alfalfa seed yield response to fertilizer is difficult to predict under marginal nutrient levels, drought or frost.
- Taxon
- alfalfaMedicago sativae0
- Outcome
- profitable alfalfa seed yield response to fertilizatione0
- Qualifier
- particularly when the soils are testing marginal in some nutrient levelse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“difficult to predict accurately if a profitable alfalfa seed yield response to fertilization would occur, particularly when the soils are testing marginal in some nutrient levels and alfalfa seed yields are often reduced by dry weather conditions and/or frost damage.”
The same questions in other papers
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- no effect
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- positive
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See all 68 papers →Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.