Impact of soil amendments on root-borne diseases, N uptake, soil health, and field crops productivity in four soil zones of Alberta

Project Details

Status: Completed
Investment: $86,000
Commodity: Soil
Organization: Battle River Research Group
Investigator: Khalil Ahmed

Over 90% of the acid soils in western Canada occur in Alberta. Soil acidification adversely affects soil health, nutrient availability, and the composition of the root exudates, which attract soilborne pathogens and caused root-borne diseases such as root rots in different crops.

Why is this research important for Alberta ag?

Over 90% of the acid soils in western Canada occur in Alberta. Soil acidification adversely affects soil health, nutrient availability, and the composition of the root exudates, which attract soilborne pathogens and caused root-borne diseases such as root rots in different crops.

It's been estimated that soil pH may be costing producers $100/ac due to lost production and fertilizer inefficiencies, and this problem may be affecting up to 20M acres in western Canada. While soil acidity can be improved by applying lime or other acid-neutralizing materials, they usually need to be applied in large amount. This means that application is typically not cost-effective for large-scale farmers.

This project will assess and compare the impacts of four commonly known soil amendment application on the root-borne disease, N availability, crop productivity, and economic feasibility.

What benefits can producers expect from this research?

This project will generate soil zone-specific information about the efficacy of each soil amendment critical to farmers. Findings will help producers make informed decisions about disease prevention, optimize N fertilizer rates, soil conservation, and enhance crop production.

How will these research findings reach producers on-farm?

Findings will be shared via interm reports, field tours, presentations, newsletters, events, and social media.

Funded in part by the Government of Canada under the Canadian Agricultural Partnership, a federal-provincial-territorial initiative.