Browsing by Author "Karamanos, R.E."
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Item The $5.50 per acre experiment(2002-02-20) Karamanos, R.E.; Flaten, D.Item Accounting of nitrogen levels in Saskatchewan soils(1992-02-20) Karamanos, R.E.; Kruger, G.A.Item Agronomic and economic benefits of fertilizing crops(2006-03-02) Karamanos, R.E.; Flore, N.A.; Harapiak, J.T.Operating costs at farm level can be divided into essential, enhancement, maintenance, protection and insurance. Save growth hormones, which are not common in western Canada, fertilizer and better quality of seed are the only types of operating costs that enhance yield. Economic returns from these two inputs must be sufficient to allow for financing all other operating (and fixed) costs. A series of experiments (279) have been used to demonstrate the economic return to fertilizer application. A number of experiments (13) are designed to included gradual additions of all fertilizer forms and demonstrate the contribution of each individual nutrient to the final yield and economic return from its use. An N return calculator, in excel format, has been developed by adapting a University of Wisconsin model to assist with this evaluation. Not all fertilizer products provided maximum economic return and choice of appropriate nutrients to achieve this has become crucial.Item Application of seed-row potash to soils with high available potassium levels(2000-02-22) Karamanos, R.E.; Flore, N.A.; Harapiak, J.T.A large number of experiments were conducted from 1989 to 1998 on western Canadian prairie soils with barley (124), hard red spring wheat (52), canola (6) and peas (13) to ascertain the response of these crops to seed-row applied KCl fertilizer. All soils contained potassium levels in excess of what is considered a critical level for obtaining a yield response to potassium due to potassium deficiency. Statistically significant yield increases were obtained with thirty percent of the barley trials and twenty percent of wheat trials. Significant yield losses were observed with less than ten percent of the barley trails and less than twenty five percent of the wheat trials and in one canola trial. None of the assessed plant characteristics (days to maturity, plumpness, protein and root rot infection) revealed any significant benefit from application of Cl as either KCl or CaCl2. There appeared to be a strong link between the probability of obtaining a significant response to seed-row applied KCl and barley variety. However, no clearly defined mechanism for the positive or negative responses could be drawn based on the determined parameters.Item Biomass and nutrient accumulation in hybrid canola(2004-02-19) Karamanos, R.E.; Poisson, D.P.; Goh, T.B.Measuring and characterizing aboveground biomass and nutrient accumulation may help us understand the fertility requirements of hybrid canola and lead to better fertilization programs for this crop. The original objective was to measure Nitrogen use by hybrid canola; appropriate timing of N application, if a window of opportunity does exist in season, will reduce N rate and NO3-N remaining at the end of the season. This was extended to all nutrients. A study was initiated in 2003 that included experiments out at four sites (two in Manitoba and two in Alberta) using one cultivar (45H21). The basic design was a control, two N rates, 54 and 90 lb N/acre (60 and 100 kg N ha-1), and 54 lb N/acre plus topdressing of 36 lb N/acre (40 kg N ha-1) at 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 weeks after seeding. We carried out weekly sampling of canola and determined biomass, and N, P, K, S, Ca, Mg, B, Cu, Fe, Mn and Zn concentration. Peak of N, P and S uptake, as an example, was at the 6-leaf growth stage of canola. Only the N data are presented here. We used topdressing of N at 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 weeks after seeding as an alternative practice. Its success was directly related to timing of precipitation.Item Calibration of bicarbonate-extractable phosphorus on wheat(1991-02-21) Liang, J.; Karamanos, R.E.; van Kessel, C.Nine locations were selected throughout Saskatchewan so that a summerfallow an oilseed stubble and a wheat stubble experimental site were adjacent to each other. Each site was characterized by analyses carried out on a composite soil sample obtained from the whole site. A randomized complete block (RCB) design with three treatments (control, 10 lb P2O5/ac , and 20 lb P2O5/ac) and four replicates was established at all sites. Subsequently, composite soil samples from each plot were taken. Comparison between the two sampling schemes suggested that characterizing a site on the basis of one composite sample may not result in a true representation of the P fertility status of individual plots within the site. Analysis of variance for a RCB design resulted in non-significant response of spring wheat to P fertilizer application independent of previous crop history. However, examination of soil P levels in each plot of every experiment revealed that sites were extremely variable. Hence, comparison of mean grain yields in many cases was based on averaging "non-responsive" parts of the field with "responsive" ones. When the probability of grain yield response was plotted on a per plot basis, a 65, 72 and 78% probability of positive response to P fertilization was obtained on the fallow, wheat stubble and canola stubble, respectively. Boundary-line analysis indicated that spring wheat had very small possibility of positive yield response to P fertilization when soil bicarbonate-P was over 25 lb/ac. Spatial variability of a site must be determined prior to carrying out an experiment and number of replications must reflect the differences sought.Item Canola yield responses to several sulphur sources – a one year's experience(1987-02-19) Karamanos, R.E.; Janzen, H.H.; Ramsay, P.Item Comparison of several extractants for available phosphorus and potassium(1991-02-21) Qian, P.; Liang, J.; Karamanos, R.E.Item Copper fertilization of wheat on soils with marginal copper levels(2003-02-18) Flaten, P.L.; Karamanos, R.E.; Walley, F.L.Copper (Cu) is the micronutrient most often deficient in Saskatchewan. Fertilizer placement is an important consideration, particularly in minimum tillage systems, because Cu is generally thought of as immobile in soil. Several new products and methods of application have become available since the last local research was completed in the mid-eighties. This study was conducted to identify relative effectiveness, as indicated by response of hard red spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L. cv. AC Barrie) to a variety of Cu fertilization strategies on mineral soils having low levels of available Cu. Field experiments at five Saskatchewan sites over three years compared the effect of Cu treatment on wheat yield, tissue and grain Cu concentration, thousand kernel weight and grain Cu accumulation. The ranking of Cu fertilization method from most to least effective, was: foliar Cu (sulphonate) at Feekes 6 or 10 > broadcast and incorporated Cu sulphate at 5.5 kg ha-1 or 11 kg ha-1 > broadcast Cu sulphate with no incorporation. Broadcast Cu oxysulphate was ineffective, particularly without incorporation. Seed placed Cu sulphate or oxysulphate were also ineffective. Where Cu deficiencies are confirmed, foliar application of Cu products are recommended for response of wheat within the year of application.Item Copper fertilizer management for optimum seed yield and quality of crops in the Canadian great plains(2006-03-02) Malhi, S.S.; Karamanos, R.E.Item Criteria for seedrow nitrogen placement with barley and wheat(2008-02-28) Karamanos, R.E.; Harapiak, J.T.; Flore, N.A.Item Criteria for targeting yields in Saskatchewan(1991-02-21) Karamanos, R.E.; Henry, J.L.Item Depth of sampling for soil testing – revisited(1996-02-22) Karamanos, R.E.Item Effect of phosphorus form on short-term solubility and availability in soils(2012-03-13) Goh, T.B.; Karamanos, R.E.; Lee, J.A laboratory experiment was set up to compare solubility and “availability” of four phosphate fertilizer sources over a period of 32 d after application to soils with varying pH levels. Three soils, one acidic and two alkaline, one of which was non-calcareous and one calcareous, of similar texture and organic matter, were selected. A large number of samples treated with four phosphate products, namely, two ammonium orthophosphate (9-18-9 and 6-24-0), a polyphosphate (10-34-0), and an ammonium mono phosphate (11-52-0) at a rate of at 100 mg P kg-1 soil and an unfertilized control were incubated for a period of 32 d. Destructive sampling at 0, 1, 2, 4, 8, 16 and 32 d was used to assess water soluble and bicarbonate-extractable phosphorus (P). All treatments were replicated four times. Wide differences in soluble and bicarbonate extractable P levels from all four products in all three soils at the onset of incubation became insignificant after 2 to 4 d of incubation suggesting that when any of these products applied at seeding time would offer any advantage over the rest.Item The effect of soil and foliar boron fertilization on canola yield(2002-02-20) Karamanos, R.E.; Goh, T.B.; Stonehouse, T.A.Boron represents one of the least studied micronutrients in prairie soils. Earlier studies had to contend with inefficient and often cumbersome chemistries for determination of this nutrient. The advent of ICP (Inductively Coupled Plasma Spectrometry) has allowed development of routine techniques for determination of low boron levels in soils. No calibration work has taken place in western Canada on boron. Hot-water extractable boron, initially developed by Berger and Truog (1939), and subsequently modified by Wear (1965) and Gupta (1979), still remains the prevalent method for assessing soil “available” boron. Hot-water soluble levels of <0.35 ppm are generally considered as deficient (Sims and Johnson 1991). An attempt to calibrate N NH4Oac-extractable boron by Tomasiewicz et al. (1989) using 19 sites the majority of which contained “available” boron levels of less than 0.35 ppm and growing canola, mustard, wheat and flax was unsuccessful. Recent work in Saskatchewan (Malhi et al. 2000) resulted in no consistent results of boron application to seed yield, seed characteristics or disease pressure of canola. The objective of this project was to attempt to identify soils in western Canada that might respond to boron application, calibrate the existing soil test (hot-water extractable) and derive proper fertilization techniques.Item Effectiveness on soil and foliar applied micronutrient mixes(2000-02-22) Karamanos, R.E.; Flore, N.A.; Harapiak, J.T.Use of micronutrient mixes is often promoted as a means of alleviating micronutrient deficiencies or simply providing a “balanced” nutrition to crops. We carried out nineteen experiment with wheat, twenty-nine with barley and five with canola from 1989 to 1994 to ascertain whether “targeted” or “non-targeted” use of micronutrient mixes provide an effective means of alleviating micronutrient deficiencies or simply increase yield due to a “balanced” nutrition. Two commercially available products were used, one for soil and one for foliar applications. The product for soil application was banded, broadcast and incorporated or seed-placed in five experiments with wheat and barley. There were no statistically (P<0.05) yield increases with any of the uses of this product. Foliar applications of the other product, on the other hand, resulted in a number of significant increases, namely, in four of nineteen experiments with wheat, in eight of twenty-seven experiments with barley and in two of five experiments with canola. None of these responses could provide an economic return or be predicted based on either soil tests or targeted yields.Item Efficiency of fall-banded nitrogen fertilizer in Manitoba: influence of application date, landscape position and fertilizer additives(2003-02-18) Tiessen, K.H.D.; Flaten, D.N.; Grant, C.A.; Karamanos, R.E.; Burton, D.L.; Entz, M.H.A two-year study was conducted to investigate the effects of application date, landscape position and a double inhibitor (urease and nitrification) on the efficiency of fall-banded nitrogen (N) fertilizer under Manitoba conditions. At harvest, the effects of landscape position were apparent at three of the four intensive sites, with significantly greater grain yields and total recovery of N in the high landscape positions than in the low landscape positions. Among fertilization treatments, there were no significant differences in crop response within the high landscape positions. In the low landscape positions, grain yields, total N uptake, grain yield increases and fertilizer N use efficiency were highest for the spring and late fall applications, when compared to early fall, mid fall and early fall with inhibitors. Preliminary soil analyses indicate that percent recovery of total inorganic N in the fall and spring was greater for late fall applications than for early fall, and for high as opposed to low landscape positions. However, there was little evidence of substantial disappearance of mineral N over the winter for all application dates, landscape positions, and with or without inhibitors.Item Evaluation of nitrogen use efficiency at various soil depths as measured by canola and wheat growth(1991-02-21) Doyle, P.J.; Liang, J.; Karamanos, R.E.A growth chamber experiment was conducted in columns to determine the availability of soil nitrogen at various depths to canola and wheat plants. Seven treatments under wet and dry watering regimes were imposed: 0-15, 15-30, 30-45, and 45-60 cm layers enriched with 15 ug g-1 (30 kg ha-1) of N and 0-30, 15-45, and 30-60 cm layers enriched with 7.5 ug g-1 (30 kg ha-1) of N (both rates as NH4NO3). Non significant differences in plant, seed, and straw mass values were observed among treatments in the irrigated wheat and canola experiments. Also, no trend in soil NO3 removal was established for the soil layers sampled at harvest for these experiments. Variability within the treatments and/or lack of nitrogen response may have masked slight yield differences imposed by the N treatments. This variability may have been imposed from differences in the amount of leachate from the columns in the irrigated experiments. The dryland wheat experiment showed significant plant and seed mass responses to N enrichment treatments. The dryland canola experiment showed significant seed yield increases to the N enrichment amendments. In both the dryland wheat and canola experiments, soil NO3 levels were very low in the 0-30 cm soil layer. This was attributed to plant removal of N from the upper soil horizons. Less variability in plant, seed, and straw mass values was observed in the dryland experiments because no leachate was collected from the soil columns.Item Evaluation of Penicillium bilaji inoculation and copper and zinc fertilization in relation to crop yield and nutrient uptake(1991-02-21) Doyle, P.J.; van Kessel, C.; McKercher, R.B.; Karamanos, R.E.Growth chamber and field experiments were conducted on three low micronutrient alkaline soils from Northeastern Saskatchewan to test the efficacy of PB-50 inoculation and phosphorus (P), copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn) fertilization in relation to plant yield and nutrient uptake responses. Field experiments involving wheat (Triticum aestivum; 'Katepwa') and peas (Pisum sativum; 'Titan') showed no yield or P uptake as a result of PB-50 seed inoculation or P2O5 fertilization for three locations. Fertilization of wheat with CuSO4 and peas with ZnSO4 produced increases in seed and total plant uptake of Cu and Zn. A yield increase from 2722 kg/ha to 3682 kg/ha (40 to 54 bu/ac) as a result of Cu fertilization was observed for Katepwa wheat on Nipawin Soil (DTPA Cu = 0.1 ug/g). No other yield increases were observed for Cu or Zn fertilization on the other soils. Growth chamber experiments involving wheat (Triticum aestivum; 'Park') and navy beans (Phaselous vulgaris L.) produced results similar to field experimentation. Increased Cu uptake in wheat for CuSO4 fertilized treatments was observed for all three soils. Copper fertilization in the Nipawin soil showed a yield increase in wheat relative to control. Wheat seed inoculation with PB-50 produced no yield increases and minor nutrient uptake differences. Increased yields and Zn uptake in beans for ZnSO4 fertilized treatments was observed in all three soils. Seed inoculation of navy bean with PB-50 produced variable yield increases and nutrient uptake differences in two of three soils.Item F.A.R.M. Phase One(1993-02-25) Kruger, G.; Evans, M.; Karamanos, R.E.F.A.R.M. Phase one is a computer program which controls the processing of soil samples at Plains Innovative Laboratory Services in Saskatoon. This video describes the four steps of the soil testing process and shows how this computer program maintains control of the sample flow through the laboratory and maintains the integrity of the data in the system. The video follows the soil samples through the various analytical procedures up to the printing of the final report which is faxed and mailed to the fertilizer dealer or farmer. The showing of this video will demonstrate the procedures involved in the analysis of a soil sample and outline the quality assurance procedures that are part of the system.
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