Yield responses to P fertilisation of onion (Allium cepa L.) and cabbage (Brassica oleracea Capitata Group L.) in Finland

4Citations
Citations of this article
9Readers
Mendeley users who have this article in their library.

Abstract

Finnish data on vegetable crops’ yield responses to phosphorus (P) applications are scarce, but P is usually applied in quantities that meet the crop demand with wide safety margins. We determined yield responses to P fertilisation of onion and cabbage at three sites in 3-year field trials. Only on a sandy loam with low P status did annual P applications give statistically significant yield increases, 7% and 20% over the P-unfertilised treatment for onion and cabbage, respectively. The maximum P rate allowed by national regulation for this soil is 80 kg ha-1, but P rates of 10–12 kg ha-1 were sufficient to produce 97% of the yield maxima. The results strongly suggest that the P demand of the studied vegetables is smaller than previously thought also in a boreal climate. Critical soil test P concentrations for vegetables should be established to avoid unnecessary build-up of soil P that may be uneconomical and elevate the risk for P losses to waterways. However, too few data exist for this at present.

Cite

CITATION STYLE

APA

Uusitalo, R., Suojala-Ahlfors, T., Kivijärvi, P., & Hurme, T. (2018). Yield responses to P fertilisation of onion (Allium cepa L.) and cabbage (Brassica oleracea Capitata Group L.) in Finland. Agricultural and Food Science, 27(1), 63–73. https://doi.org/10.23986/afsci.67703

Register to see more suggestions

Mendeley helps you to discover research relevant for your work.

Already have an account?

Save time finding and organizing research with Mendeley

Sign up for free