Title: Towards fertilisation recommendations based on the use of 0.01M CaCl2

Primary Researcher: Debby Los
Email address: debby.los@wur.nl
Submitted on: September 8, 2003

Start date: 01 September 2003
End date: 01 October 2007

Introduction:

Nutrient management is a very important issue for farmers. A balance must be found between optimal crop growth and minimal environmental burden. The current fertilizer recommendations are based on empirical relations between soil test results and crop response. A disadvantage of the current situation is that 9 different extraction methods, 1 per nutrient, set up between 1925 and 1965, are used. A new method, 0.01 M CaCl2 extraction, has been proposed to be a good alternative. Promising and interesting results were found when results of this new method were compared to results of the conventional extraction methods. However the soil chemical properties and processes are hardly taken into account in the present fertilizer recommendation.

Aim:

The aim of this project is to ultimately translate soil test results based on 0.01 M CaCl2, to nutrient management by means of soil chemical processes, transport, bioavailability and plant uptake potential.

Research:

To come to a multi-nutrient extraction, new relationships must be established between analytical results and crop response. This can be accomplished in two ways:
1) Establish relationship between the results from the 0.01M CaCl2 method and the conventional methods.
2) Establish new relationships between the 0.01M CaCl soil test and crop response.
For the first method a very large dataset is available and a new one will be generated soon. For the second method pot experiments will be conducted to deduce single- and multinutrient crop response relations. Subsequently process based single-and multinutrient fertilizer recommendations must be developed, considering differences in soil type and soil use with regard to crop yield and crop quality.

External funding

Yes

External Funding Sponsors

Bedrijfs laboratorium grond en gewasonderzoek (Blgg) and Nutrient Management Institute (NMI)