Final Report for FNE07-608
Project Information
The purpose of this project was to compare in-furrow versus broadcast fertilization of spring wheat and its effects on soil test P, economic inputs, and wheat yield and quality.
The wheat was planted with a Great Plains 1005 No-Till Drill into in-furrow and broadcast plots on two separate fields. The wheat was then monitored for growth, population, weeds and disease. The crops were then harvested with a 1660 Case IH combine and the yields were measured and samples were taken and sent to the Dairy One Forage Lab for evaluation.
We believe that the results of this trial are not conclusive to what were attempting to discover. One growing season is not adequate to determine the effects of in-furrow and broadcast fertilization on the soil test P levels. It is also not sufficient time to conclude if there is truly a change in wheat yields and quality and if there would be a long term reduction in production costs using in-furrow versus broadcast fertilization. There was no difference in wheat quality between the in-furrow and broadcast plots although there was a yield difference between the plots, with the broadcast plots yielding higher than the in-furrow plots. This was possibly due to the higher rate of phosphorous applied to the broadcast plots in soils that are low in soil test P, and that some of the in-furrow plots received more shade from a tree line than the broadcast plots.