SÉMINAIRE Résultats de la recherche en agriculture ......SÉMINAIRE Résultats de la recherche en agriculture biologique dans l’Est du Canada – Programme Partie 2 • Effet des

SÉMINAIRE Résultats de la recherche en

agriculture biologique dans l’Est du Canada –

Programme

Partie 2 • Effet des paillis sur la fertilisation et les mauvaises herbes dans le bleuet de

corymbe (Effect of Mulch Applications on Nitrogen Fertility and the Growth and Productivity of Organically Managed Highbush Blueberry)........................... page 33

• Fertilité des sols : production laitière, pommes de terre, pommiers (Nutrient Management for Organic Dairy and Potato Farms) ...................................... page 39

Effect of Mulch Applications on NitrogenFertility and the Growth and Productivity of

Organically Managed Highbush Blueberry

Nicole Burkhard, MSc.D. Lynch and D. Percival, NSAC

Background Highbush Blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum L.) is

cultivated in rows amended with sawdust/pine barkand has a low pH and N requirement, favouring NH4-N uptake

An organic protocol excludes the use of mostchemical fertilizers and pesticides

Mineral N release from organic sources can beunpredictable

Use of organic amendments (compost and mulch)can alter N balance due to chemical andbiological characteristics

One novel way of monitoring NO3-N and NH4-Nflux in soil under mulch/compost layer is to useion exchange membranes such as PRS™-probes(Western Ag Innovations, Saskatoon, SK)

Objectives

1) to test the efficacy of natural mulches asa method of weed control, and

2) to assess the effect of conventional andorganic fertility treatments and thicklyapplied mulches on HBB growth, leafnutrient uptake, yield and crop qualityunder organic production.

Objectives

Determine the mineral Nrelease from thick layers ofmulch, applied for weedcontrol, and effect onblueberry plant performance(growth and yield)

2) Assess Plant Root Simulator(PRS™)-probes as a tool fortesting plant-availablemineral N in blueberry fields

07-BIO-20 33

Methodology Location: Annapolis

Valley, NS Split-plot design:

5 blocks Whole plots - 6

mulch fertilitytreatments

Subplots - level ofhand-weeding (+/-)

Mulch/Fertility TreatmentsWhole plot treatments Application Rate C/N Ratio pH

Control ~ ~ ~

AS – Ammonium Sulphate fertilizer [(NH 4)2SO 4] (21-0-0-24)

30 kg N ha -1 ~ ~

NW – Nutri -Wave® Pelletized poultry manure (4-1-2)

60 kg N ha -1 ~ ~

PN – Pine Needles 25 cm (80 T ha -1) 67:1 4.2

MC – Manure /Sawdust Compost 25 cm (550 T ha -1) 46:1 6.4

SC – Seafood Waste Compost 25 cm (360 T ha -1) 22:1 6.6

Mulch application – the hard way Mulches

07-BIO-20 34

Weed Sampling Results

Weeds main effects

Weeds negatively affected HBB growthand productivity, resulting in reducedcanopy volumes, leaf N (in the applicationyear) and lower berry yields

These results were even more pronouncedin the second season (i.e. year afterapplication).

Weed Biomass (kg/ha)

424431225137SC260826071122MC

1300448 808PN358820052463NW

258612462979AS355916421815Control Trial 1R Trial 2 Trial 1Treatment

07-BIO-20 35

Weed Composition

The species composition, time of onset, andbiomass of weeds was influenced by mulchtype

Composts suppressed sheep sorrel andvetch generally

Common ragweed – SC treatment only

pH (0-6 cm)J1 - 1 year after application

a

bcbc

4.00

5.00

6.00

7.00

Control PN MC SC

Treatment

pH

pH was increased underthe seafood wastecompost after 1 year

In the second plot, pHwas slightly higher underthe manure/sawdustcompost after 3 months

J2 - 3 months after application

abab

b

4.00

5.00

6.00

7.00

Control PN MC SC

Treatment

pH

Soil

Mulches increased soil moisture andreduced fluctuations in soil temperature

No detrimental effects to plant productivitywere noted despite high C:N ratios of PNand MC (72:1 and 48:1, respectively).

Soil Mineral Nitrogen (0-45cm)June 22, 2005

0

20

40

60

0-15

15-3

030

-45

0-15

15-3

030

-45

0-15

15-3

030

-45

0-15

15-3

030

-45

0-15

15-3

0

30-4

50-

1515

-30

30-4

5

Control AS NW PN MC SC

Treatment and sampling depth (cm)

Mine

ral N

(kg

ha-1

)

NO3-N

NH4-N

Sept 6, 2005

0

10

20

30

0-15

15-3

030

-45

0-15

15-3

030

-45

0-15

15-3

030

-45

0-15

15-3

030

-45

0-15

15-3

030

-45

0-15

15-3

030

-45


Treatment and sampling depth (cm)

Min

eral

N (k

g ha

-1)

NO3-N

NH4-N

07-BIO-20 36

PRS™-probes:Cumulative available N over 5 weeks

2005

0100200300

400500600700

7 14 21 28 35

Days

Tota

l N (!

g cm

-2)

ControlPNMCSC

2006

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

7 14 21 28 35

Days

Tota

l N (!

g cm

-2)

ControlPNMCSC

Blueberry Plant Growth and Yield

0

20

40

60


Treatment

Pla

nt

Can

op

y I

nd

ex

Mulch treatments increased plant canopyvolume and leaf tissue N, P and K.

Blueberry Yield and Quality2005 - No treatment affect on yields

2006 – Yield increased 3x with mulching,with composts (SC, MC) > PN

2006 (Trials 1r) – PN greater yields than SC

Total phenolics and titratable acidity werenot affected by treatment, although SCcaused a slight increase in sugar contentover MC.

Acknowledgements NSERC Industrial

Postgraduate ScholarshipProgram

NSDAF TechnologyDevelopment Fund

Envirem Technologies Inc.(Fredericton, NB)

Nova-Agri Associates(Centreville, NS)

Western Ag. Innovations(Saskatoon, SK)

Canada Research ChairProgram

07-BIO-20 37

Questions?

07-BIO-20 38

NSAC. Science Applied to Life.

Nova ScotiaAgriculturalCollege

NUTRIENT MANAGEMENT FOR

ORGANIC DAIRY AND POTATO FARMS

D. Lynch, NSAC



• Organic Research and Extension

• Graduate student opportunities

• Consumer information and organic policy

• Links to our free electronic newsletter

• Coming organic events

• Organic courses on internet

Visit OACC.INFO for:



SUSTAINABILITY OF DAIRY SYSTEMS

•Dairy farms - large nutrient (NPK) surpluses,

varying with intensity of production system

Klausner, 1995

Anderson and Magdoff, 2000

•Integrated nutrient management - evaluate

nutrient status of all farm components

Powell et al., 2001

Lynch et al., 2003



WHOLE FARM NUTRIENTBUDGETS

Imports Exports

BeddingFeedMinerals

Legume BNFSeedAmendments?

Milk, MeatCash crops

Internalflows

07-BIO-20 39



BIOLOGICAL NITROGEN FIXATION

1880: Cultivated legumes represented20-30% of all cultivated land in W. Europe

Provided 40-150 kg N/ha and up to 75% ofcrop N requirements.

1960: BNF-N only 50% of global crop N

2000: BNF-N only 20% of global crop N

Biological nitrogen fixation (BNF): N2 NH3



COMPARING ORGANICDAIRY SYSTEMS – ABERYSTWYTH,

WALES



LIVESTOCK DENSITY, P FLOWS ANDORGANIC DAIRY SYSTEMS

Weller and Bowling, 2004 Biol. Ag.Hort. 22:261-270

1.65

1.27

StockingDensity

451453‘Flexible’

273 43‘Self-Sustaining’

Exports

(kg P)

Imports

(kg P)

ProductionSystem



Watson et al.,2002

3.1-Organic

Anderson andMagdoff, 2000

11.31.2Pasture-based

Anderson andMagdoff, 2000

36.7 2.0Confinement

Weller andBowling, 2004

-4.0

0.0

1.3

1.7

Organic: SS

PF

Lynch et al., 2003 2.60.8Pasture-based

Net Psurplus

(kg/ha/yr)

StockingRate

(LU/ha)

ProductionSystem

DAIRY SYSTEM AND P SURPLUS

07-BIO-20 40



KIPAWO HOLSTEINS, GRAND PRE, NS

• 1988 - 2000: managementchanges

- adoption of MIG system

- crop diversification

- no fertilizer purchases

- routine soil testing, composting



• Milk production increased (666 kg/cow)

• Feed costs declined (14.3 to 11.6 cents/litre)

• N and K farm budgets indicated low surpluses

• Internal N flows close to optimum for crop mix

• No soil fertility deficiencies (but soil P incr. 2 ppm/yr)



Milk: 22

Meat: 3

Manure 46

Feed 34

Manure 7

Seed 0.5

Kelp meal 0.2

FARM N FLOWS (kg/ha)

Fixed N 53

Deposition6

Feed 86



CHANGES IN SOIL FERTILITY

1985 2001OM (%) 3.3 3.9

Ca (ppm) 1293 1488

Mg 568 279

K 291 166

P 117 151

07-BIO-20 41



INTEGRATED NUTRIENT MANAGEMENT

-target dietary P : 0.40 - 0.50 g P kg -1 DM

-Reduced diet P by 10%

-Impact - Reduced farm Psurplus by 1 kg ha-1 yr-1

Lynch et al., 2003 Am.J.Alt.Ag. 18:137-145

Ca:P 3 :15 :1



ONTARIO DAIRY FARMS

1. Characterize farm productivity and

nutrient (NPK) status

2. Assess phosphate rock availability

3. Examine soil P pools

Location:

15 long-term

organic dairy farms



FARM SELECTION CRITERIA

Selection Criteria

- >10 years certified

- farm at ‘Steady State’

- diversity of management

Roberts et al. 2008. Can.J.Soil.Sci. 88:1-7



FARM CHARACTERISTICS

- Farm size: 110 ha (±55)

- Herd size: 52 cows (±22)

- Productivity: 5656 (±836) kg milk cow yr-1

- Pasture and hay = 65% (±21) of acreage

- Corn = 6% of acreage (50% of farms - no corn)

- Four farms sold cash crops

07-BIO-20 42



FARM CHARACTERISTICS

Rozzi et al. (2007):

- Emphasis on functional traits

- 3 farms have pure Holstein herds

- 1 farm has Holstein and Jersey

- Crossbreeding: Average of 30% ofherd composition on 8 farms.



NITROGEN

94.8 kg N ha-1

Surplus =

75.3 kg ha-1 yr-1

Efficiency= 21%

19.5 kg N ha-1



POTASSIUM

15.7 kg K ha-1 4.5 kg K ha-1

Surplus =

11.2 kg ha-1 yr-1



PHOSPHORUS

4.7 kg P ha-1 3.7 kg P ha-1

Surplus =

1.0 kg ha-1 yr-1

07-BIO-20 43



AVERAGE FARM P FLOWS

Milk: 264 kg

Meat: 83 kg

Crops: 64 kg

Minerals 303 kg

Feed 159 kg

Seed 9 kg

Other 5 kg

Bedding 30 kg



Organic Matter (OM)

Average: 4.8%

Phosphorus (P) - (0.5M NaHCO3)

Average: 12.2 mg kg-1

50% of farms – fields averaged < 10 mg kg-1

Potassium (K) - (1.0M NH4OAc)

Average: 108 mg kg-1

SOIL FERTILITY



Distribution of NaHCO 3 Extractable Phosphorus (n=225)

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

0-5 5-10 10-15 15-20 20-25 25-30 30-40 40-50 >50

mg P kg soil -1

Num

ber o

f Fiel

ds

SOIL AVAILABLE P



---kg ha-1 yr-1---

60

1

15

n

9

8

11

K

Watson etal., 2002

Europe292

Roberts etal., 2008

Ontario 175

Lynch etal., 2003

NovaScotia

376

LocationPN

NPK SURPLUS - ORGANIC DAIRYING

07-BIO-20 44



FEED MANAGEMENT IMPACTS

36.76.51.4Potassium

6.00.4-1.5Phosphorus

98.577.653.3Nitrogen

-----(kg ha-1 yr-1)----Nutrient surplus

311127522208Milk produced (L ha-1 yr-1)

1.210.990.87Stocking rate (LU ha-1)

highmediumlowFeed imports

384Number of farms

CBA



IMPROVING FARM P STATUS

• conserve P on farm (manure and feed)

• reduce P exports (manure and feed)

• explore options to increase P imports

- minimum feed imports, adjust dietary P

- apply phosphate rock (or other P sources)



Feeds/ GrazingLegumes/N2 Fixation

Composts

FARM NUTRIENT FLOWSNSAC. Science Applied to Life.


LEGUMES AND FORAGE QUALITY

Timothy & RedClover (30%)

Timothy

Soil amendments: N fertilizer Liquid dairy manure Three different composts

07-BIO-20 45



Predicting compost N release difficult

Variability in compost quality

Unfavourable ratio of PK to N

Why Combine Compost with Legumes?



Dairy Manure (HMC)

Producing and Applying Compost

Corn Silage (CSC)

Sewage Sludge (SSC)



CompostsCSCSSCHMCLDM

34.84.925.325.1Ttl K (g kg-1)

7.35.66.16.1Ttl P (g kg-1)

9.823.320.96.6C:N

40.012.518.948.9Ttl N (g kg-1)

27.321.327.77.4Lignin %

332344288 77

Amendment Composition

DM (g kg-1)

Manure



FORAGE YIELDS (3 years)

02468

1012141618

Cont N

Rec

N

High

DM

150

DM

300

Tim

oth

y

Tim

oth

y/C

lover

Timothy Timothy/CloverT DM/ha

Cmp A150 300

Cmp B150 300

Cmp C150 300

07-BIO-20 46



FORAGE QUALITY (PROTEIN YIELD)

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

Cont N

Rec

N

High

DM

150

DM

300

Tim

oth

y

Tim

oth

y/C

lover

Timothy Timothy/Clover

Cmp A150 300

Cmp B150 300

Cmp C150 300

Kg N/ha

Lynch et al., 2004 JEQ. 33:1509-1520



Mulch/Plow Down

decomposition

H+

phosphatephosphaterockrock

diffusion

dissolution

Ca2+

H2PO42-

Rhizosphere

Root

Arcand M., U. of Guelph, 2007

Phytoextraction of Phosphate Rock P



Phytoextraction of Phosphate Rock P

Year 1

Year 2

PPR

VPR

TPR

CPR

Arcand M., U. of Guelph, 2007



Buckwheat P uptake

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

0

100

400

800

100

400

800

100

400

800 0

100

400

800

100

400

800

SRPR VPR CPR . VPR CPR

P up

take

(kg

ha-1

)

20042005

07-BIO-20 47



Mulch quality and soil P flux

R2 = 0.70

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

2 2.5 3 3.5 4

P content (g kg -1)

P flu

x (_

g P

10 c

m-2

2 w

eeks

-1)

CPR 800CPR 400VPR 800Control

Increased P release

P release unchanged



New Research Directions (2008-2010)

1. Determine forage quality, species composition,and legume N2 fixation, and relationship to soilfertility/ soil health.

2. Assess scope for improving legume N2 fixation

and forage productivity.



Collaborators: P.Voroney, U of Guelph

Graduate students: C. Roberts, U. of Guelph

M. Arcand, U. of Guelph

Technical Assistance: K. Davidge, J Ferguson,

L. Eccles, Andrea Farrow and Allison Van Horne

Producers: 15 throughout Ontario.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS



ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

• OMAF New Directions Program

• Canada Research Chairs Program

• Organic Agriculture Centre of Canada

• Ontarbio/Organic meadow

• Harmony Organic Dairy Products Inc.

• Ecological Farmers Association of Ontario

07-BIO-20 48



PRODUCTIVITY AND NITROGEN

DYNAMICS IN ORGANIC POTATO

PRODUCTION



Varieties: Shepody, A90586-11

Amendments N applied (kg/ha)

Control 0

Nutriwave manure 300; 600

Compost 300; 600

Kentdale Farms, PEI

Brookside, NSLocations: NSAC, Brookside,

NS Kentdale Farms, PEI


Nova ScotiaAgriculturalCollegeAmendment Composition

18.90.4Ttl K (g kg-1)

14.73.4Ttl P (g kg-1)

8.721.6C:N

6.11.7NH4-N (g kg-1)

44.411.3Ttl N (g kg-1)

97.633.0DM (g kg-1)

PoultryManureCompost



07-BIO-20 49



0

10

20

30

40

Con

trol

Nu

tr 3

00

Nu

tr 6

00

Com

p 3

00

Com

p 6

00

A90586-11

She pody

A90586-11 Shepody

`

Total Tuber Yields - Kentdale

0

10

20

30

40

Con

trol

Nu

tr 3

00

Nu

tr 6

00

Com

p 3

00

Com

p 6

00

A90586-11

She pody

A90586-11 Shepody

`

T/ha

T/ha

2 0 03

2 0 04



Efficiency of Amendment N

1.2

60

-

112

Control

98 116216189Plant N uptake(kg N ha-1)

1.11.21.81.6Tuber Nconcentration (%)

67634952Tuber Naccumulation(% of plant biomass N)

-2.3-1.517.425.7ANR(% of total N applied)

Comp600

Comp300

Nutr600

Nutr300



SEASONAL CHANGES IN SOIL NITRATE

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

6/2/04 6/22/04 7/12/04 8/1/04 8/21/04 9/10/04 9/30/04 10/20/04

So

il N

O3-N

(k

g h

a-1)

CTCP300CP600NW300NW600

Winslow 2004

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

6/8/03 6/28/03 7/18/03 8/7/03 8/27/03 9/16/03 10/6/03 10/26/03 11/15/03

So

il N

O3-N

(k

g h

a-1)

CTCP300CP600NW300NW600

Winslow 2003



02468

10121416182022

13 19 26 42 86 98

D ays a fte r p lan t ing

Vol. Soil moisture (

%) Con tro l

Com p 300

Com p 600

Seasonal soil moisture content

Kentdale

2 0 0 4

0

4

8

12

16

20

24

28

32

36

12 21 33 61 75 113

D ays a fte r p lan t ing

Gravimetric moisture (

%)

Con tro l

Com p 300

Com p 600

07-BIO-20 50



Shepody, controlplots

Relationship between Springsoil mineral N and plant Naccumulation

0

50

100

150

200

0 25 50 75 100 125 150 175

Soil mineral N (kg/ha)

Pla

nt

N (

kg/h

a)

Brook.‘0 3

Brook.‘0 4

Kent. ‘0 4

Kent. ‘0 3


Nova ScotiaAgriculturalCollegePlant Root Simulator (PRS)™ Probes

NH4+

NH4+ NH4+NO3-

NO3-

NO3-

NH4+

NH4+NO3-

Anions Cations

Soil Particle

10 cm



0

500

1000

1500

2000

3 10 16 23 30

Days after planting

Ava

ilab

le N

su

pp

ly (

ug

cm-2

)

Control

Comp. 300

Comp. 600

Nutr. 300

Nutr. 600

Cumulative Available N: PRS™ Probe Flux and Net Soil Mineral N

Kentdale2 0 0 3

3 1 0 .8

kg

1 8 2 .2

7 2 .

85 3 .2

3 9 .

6

Soil Nm in



PRS-N (0-30DAP) and plant N uptake

Kentdale

2 0 0 4

0

50

100

150

200

250

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

N sorbed on probes (ug cm-2 d-1)

Pla

nt

N u

pta

ke

(k

g/h

a)

R2= 0 .9 8 ; y= 4 8 .7 5 +

2 3 .9 xShepody

Kentdale2 0 0 3

R2= 0 .9 8 ; y= 5 8 .7 6 +

2 3 .8 x

0

50

100

150

200

250

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8


Pla

nt

N u

pta

ke

(k

g/h

a)

07-BIO-20 51



Kentdale2 0 0 4

R2= 0 .9 8 ; y= 4 5 .0 +

1 0 .8 x

Kentdale

2 0 0 3

R2= 0 .9 8 ; y= 4 7 .0 +

1 2 .8 x

0

50

100

150

200

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8


Tu

be

r N

up

tak

e (

kg

/ha

)

0

50

100

150

200

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8


Tu

be

r N

up

tak

e (

kg

/ha

)

GDD 0 -30 d / GDD total = 0 .2 4 GDD 0 -30 d / GDD total = 0 .2 1

PRS-N (0-30DAP) and tuber N uptake



0

50

100

150

200

250

300

CT

CP3

00

CP6

00

NW

300

NW

600 CT

CP3

00

CP6

00

NW

300

NW

600 CT

CP3

00

CP6

00

NW

300

NW

600

Winslow 2003 Winslow 2004 Brookside 2004

Resi

dual

NO

3-N a

t har

vest

(Mg

ha-1

)

SOIL NITRATE N AT HARVEST (kg ha-1)

60 kgNO3-N



Variety Trials

Residual nitrate-N:

2002: 22 kg NO3-N ha-1

2003: 19 kg NO3-N ha-1

Yields

28-35t/ha

(250-300 cwt/acre)



Plant Health and Potato Beetle Dynamics

Colorado Potato Beetle dynamics (larvae

development) are influenced by plant

health/fertility

Boiteau et al., J. Applied Entomology, 2008

07-BIO-20 52



Vegetable Production, Soil Quality and RotationDesign

Four 5-year organicvegetable rotation sequences

Varying in green manureand soil amendment typeand frequency

Commenced in 2006



Fertility status organic apples - Ontario

• Voroney et al. 2006. Acta Hort 737:79-86

• Survey of soil fertility status on 18 organic and 2conventional orchards in Ontario

• Plus leaf tissue comparison oftrees in areas where sod dominatesor not in 1 orchard



Soil Fertility- Organic orchards

• Soil (0-30cm) sampled (n~20) between treetrunk and drip line

• 50% of organic orchard soils were P (<12ppm)and K (<120ppm) deficient

• Soil inorganic N lower inorganic compared toconventional



Leaf tissue analyses - Organic orchard

• N, Ca and Fe was lower in leaf tissue sampledfrom weak trees where sod dominant

• Study emphasizes importance of sod and floormanagement to maintain tree nutrition

07-BIO-20 53

Documents

SÉMINAIRE Résultats de la recherche en agriculture ......SÉMINAIRE Résultats de la recherche en agriculture biologique dans l’Est du Canada – Programme Partie 2 • Effet des