Soil and tissue tests to predict the potassium requirements of canola in south-western Australia
R. F. Brennan A D and M. D. A. Bolland B CA Department of Agriculture, 444 Albany Highway, Albany, WA 6330, Australia.
B Department of Agriculture, PO Box 1231, Bunbury, WA 6231, Australia.
C School of Plant Biology, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia.
D Corresponding author. Email: rbrennan@agric.wa.gov.au
Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 46(5) 675-679 https://doi.org/10.1071/EA04218
Submitted: 20 October 2004 Accepted: 12 September 2005 Published: 12 May 2006
Abstract
The predominantly sandy soils of south-western Australia have become potassium (K) deficient for spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) production due to the removal of K from soil in grain and hay. The K requirements of canola (rape, Brassica napus L.) grown in rotation with wheat on these soils are not known and were determined in the study reported here. Seed (grain) yield increases (responses) of canola to applications of fertiliser K occurred at sites where Colwell soil test K values (top 10 cm of soil) were <60 mg/kg soil. Grain yield responses to applied K occurred when concentrations of K in dried shoots were <45 g/kg for young plants 7 and 10 weeks after sowing and <35 g/kg for 18 weeks after sowing. Application of fertiliser K had no significant effects on either oil or K concentrations in grain.
Acknowledgments
Funds were provided by the Grain Research and Development Corporation (DAW0075) and by the Western Australian Department of Agriculture. Experiments from 1993–1996 were conducted by Mr MG Mason. Soil and plant chemical analyses were done by chemists of the Chemistry Centre (WA). Technical assistance was provided by Messrs J Majewski, FM O’Donnell, TD Hilder and RJ Lunt. Comments of anonymous referees helped to improve our paper.
Bolland MDA,
Cox WJ, Codling BJ
(2002) Soil and tissue tests to predict pasture yield responses to applications of potassium fertiliser in high-rainfall areas of south-western Australia. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 42, 149–164.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Brennan RF,
Bolland MDA, Bowden JW
(2004) Potassium deficiency, and molybdenum deficiency and aluminium toxicity due to soil acidification, have become problems for cropping sandy soils in south-western Australia. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 44, 1031–1039.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Colwell JD
(1963) The estimation of phosphorus fertiliser requirements of wheat in southern New South Wales by soil analysis. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture and Animal Husbandry 3, 190–197.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Colwell JD
(1965) An automatic procedure for the determination of phosphorus in sodium hydrogen carbonate extract of soil. Chemistry & Industry 10, 893–895.
Colwell JD, Esdaile RJ
(1968) The calibration, interpretation, and evaluation of tests for the phosphorus fertiliser requirements of wheat in northern New South Wales. Australian Journal of Soil Research 6, 105–120.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Holmes MRJ, Ainsley AM
(1977) Fertiliser requirements of spring oilseed rape. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture 28, 301–311.
Holmes MRJ, Ainsley AM
(1978) Seedbed fertiliser requirements of winter oilseed rape. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture 29, 657–666.
Madsen E
(1976) Nuclear magnetic resonance as a quick method of determination of oil content in rapeseed. Journal of the American Oil Chemists' Society 53, 467–469.
Wong MTF,
Edwards NK, Barrow NJ
(2000) Accessibility of subsoil potassium to wheat grown on duplex soils in the south-west of Western Australia. Australian Journal of Soil Research 38, 745–751.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Yuen SH, Pollard AG
(1954) Determination of nitrogen in agricultural materials by the Nessler reagent. II. Micro-determinations in plant tissue and in soil extracts. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture 5, 364–369.
