Location: Soil Management and Sugarbeet Research
Project Number: 3012-12210-001-032-T
Project Type: Trust Fund Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: Dec 1, 2023
End Date: Dec 31, 2026
Objective:
Globally, the use of compound inorganic phosphorus fertilizers such as diammonium phosphate (DAP) has dwarfed the total usage of ‘P-only’ sources such as super phosphates. In the United States, DAP and other ammonium phosphate fertilizers are the leading inorganic Pfertilizers, due to trade legislation, water solubility, and ease of storage. Nitrogen loss, via N2O-N emissions and NO3-N leaching, from nitrogen containing phosphorus fertilizers has not been thoroughly studied. While limited, some research has shown that fall applied ammonium phosphates have an higher risk of N losses than non-ammoniated P fertilizers. This project seeks to compare the use of non-ammoniated P sources with ammoniated P sources as means to control N and P losses while also quantifying crop response to the various N and P sources. The main objectives of this project are to 1) quantify differences in N and P losses from fall-applied DAP and TSP (Triple Super Phosphate) and 2) measure crop response (yield) to application timing and P-fertilizer.
Approach:
This trial will be located at the Agricultural Research Development and Education Center in Fort Collins, CO. The fertilizer treatments for this response trial will be DAP (4 rates 30, 60, 90, 120 lb. P2O5/ac), TSP (4 rates – 30, 60, 90, 120 lb. P2O5/ac), and a check with no additional P. Before planting corn, all other nutrients will be supplied to sufficiency to ensure adequate plant growth. There will be separate fall and spring applications of all fertilizer treatments. Soils will be sampled at a depth of 0-6” at 3 time points: prefertilizer application, pre-sidedress N, and post-harvest. Soil and plant nutrient analysis will be conducted by the Penn State Agricultural Analytical Services Lab. Sampling and analysis protocols will adhere to the FRST minimum dataset and all of the collected data will be submitted for inclusion into the FRST database as well as the OCPNA database.