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RESEARCH ARTICLE

Wheat and canola response to concentrations of phosphorus and cadmium in a sandy soil

R. F. Brennan A and M. D. A. Bolland B
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A WA Department of Agriculture, 444 Albany Highway, Albany, WA 6330, Australia. Email: rbrennan@agric.wa.gov.au

B WA Department of Agriculture, PO Box 1231, Bunbury, WA 6231, Australia.

Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 44(10) 1025-1029 https://doi.org/10.1071/EA02237
Submitted: 15 December 2002  Accepted: 10 January 2004   Published: 25 November 2004

Abstract

An old phosphate rock experiment was used to determine critical Colwell soil test phosphorus values for spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and canola (rape, Brassica napus L.). Different amounts of phosphorus, applied to the soil 16 years previously as triple superphosphate and phosphate rock fertilisers, and different amounts of triple superphosphate applied in the current year, were used to generate soil with different P status. The phosphorus fertilisers contained different concentrations of cadmium as an impurity. The experiment was thus used to relate soil test cadmium, measured using 0.005 mol CaNO3/L, to cadmium concentration in grain. Colwell soil test phosphorus, related to 90% of the maximum grain yield (critical value), was 58 mg phosphorus/kg soil for wheat and 19 mg phosphorus/kg soil for canola. In soil with low Colwell phosphorus concentrations, canola efficiently used phosphorus that was banded with the seed while sowing (drilled phosphorus), requiring 15 kg phosphorus/ha as triple superphosphate to achieve 90% of the maximum yield, compared to 65–70 kg phosphorus/ha for wheat. Soil test cadmium was highly correlated with grain cadmium in both wheat (R2 = 0.89) and canola (R2 = 0.96), suggesting soil testing for cadmium may be used to predict the likelihood of grain cadmium contamination.


Acknowledgments

Staff of Esperance Downs Research Station provided technical assistance in seeding and harvesting the experiment. Mr F. M. O’Donnell provided technical assistance for plant sampling and sample preparation. The Chemistry Centre (WA) measured Colwell soil test P and soil Cd extracted using 0.005 mol CaNO3/L, concentration of Cd in grain, and concentration of oil in canola grain. The Western Australian Department of Agriculture provided funds. We are grateful for the positive comments of 2 anonymous referees that helped to greatly improve our paper.


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