Evaluation of Crystal Green Based Fertilizer

Principal Investigators: John H. Miller, Research Scientist, and Gadi V.P. Reddy, Professor of Entomology/Ecology, Western Triangle Ag Research Center

Personnel: Julie Prewett, Research Assistant, and Alysha Miller, Research Assistant, WTARC, Conrad, MT.

Objectives: To this end the objective is to evaluate winter wheat fertilized with Crystal Green based products under the local conditions with respect to yield, test weight, lodging, and seed protein. The research center strives to provide growers of the western triangle area unbiased information of various fertilizer treatments.

Methods: The winter wheat plot was established with Yellowstone winter wheat with variations in fertilizer rates and products. All plots were seeded with a five row plot seeder on one foot spacing. All plots were planted on no-till chemical fallow. Phosphorus treatments were place in the furrow with the seed and part of the nitrogen and all of the potassium were side shot during seeding. The balance of the nitrogen was broadcast in the spring using a four foot Gandy fertilizer spreader. Plots were trimmed, measured for length, and then harvested with a Wintersteiger Classic plot combine. Winter wheat seed was cleaned prior to collecting data.

Results: Results are tabulated in Table 1. Table 2 contains product names and nutrient analysis. Table 3 are a presentation of soil test results. The soil test results pertinent to this experiment are WTARC-N fall.

Overall, the crop year temperatures where cooler than 32 year average at the research center, May, when we could have used some cooler temperatures, was 5.2 degrees warmer than the average. But the overall average temperature for the year from September to August was 3.8 degrees cooler than the 32 year average. The winter temperature, from September to March was well below average, with February being 15.5 degrees colder than the 32 year average. March and April were 9.6 and 7.1 degrees colder than the 32 year average. May was the only month that had a temperature that was above the average with a temperature 5.2 degrees. September through March were at or above the average precipitation for those months. Then May through August were drier than the 32 year average. Overall, precipitation was average for the year with respect to the 32 year average.

The winter wheat fertility plots were seeded into soil that had good soil moisture storage from the late summer and fall moisture in 2017. A warmer and dryer May and lack of summer moisture probably affected yield, test weight, and seed protein.

Grain yields averaged 71.3 bu/ac with no statistical difference in yield across treatments. There were no statistical differences for the measured agronomic factors of test weight or protein. The plots suffered from a sawfly infestation as the variety was Yellowstone.

Summary: It is planned to continue the Crystal Green based products for the 2018-2019 winter wheat growing season.

These data should be used for comparative purposes rather than using absolute numbers. Statistics are used to indicate that treatment or variety differences are really different and are not different due to chance or error. The Least Significant Difference (LSD) and Coefficient of Variability (CV) values are useful in comparing treatment or variety differences. The LSD value represents the smallest difference between two treatments at a given probability level. The LSD at p=0.05 or 5 % probability level is usually the statistic reported, and it means that the odds are 19 to 1 that treatment differences by the amount of the LSD are truly different. The CV value measures the variability of the experiment or variety trial, and a CV greater than 15 % indicates a high degree of variability and less accuracy.

Table 1. Winter Wheat Crystal Green based product as a phosphorus source. Western Triangle Ag. Research Center, Conrad, MT.2018

Planted: 10/16/2017 on chemical fallow and harvested on 8/21/2018

Fertilizer: 140 lbs N/ac as urea was broadcast on 4/30/2018. For nitrogen fertilizer rates a yield goal of 70 bu/ac was used.

Herbicide: Huskie at 11.0 oz/ac and Axial XL at 16.4 oz/ac applied on 6/3/2018.

1 Yield and test weight are adjusted to 13% seed moisture.

Table 2. Crystal Green product and nutrient analysis.

Table 3. Soil test values for off-station and on-station plots, 2018.

1Nitrogen soil samples were to a depth of four feet in one foot increments. All other soil tests were for zero to six inches in depth.

WTARC- Western Triangle Ag. Research Center