Publication Date:
2000-02-01
Description:
An important economic concept in the evaluation of soil conservation is the ease with which production inputs can be substituted for one another. This concept and economic optimum application rates of N and P fertilizer for wheat grown after fallow were applied to three artificially eroded soils in southern Alberta. Each site had topsoil removed to depths of 0, 10 and 20 cm. Four rates of N (0, 50, 75 and 100 kg ha−1) and three rates of P (0, 11 and 22 kg ha−1) were applied to each eroded depth. There were four replications. Fertilizer N and P did not easily substitute for the loss of topsoil. The economic optimum level of N and P was nearly constant across depths of eroded topsoil. Increases in fertilizer N and P applied to eroded soils were primarily to replace lost soil nutrients. It was not economical to apply inorganic fertilizer on these eroded soils at rates that would restore grain yields. Key words: Eroded soil, economics, inorganic fertilizer, wheat
Print ISSN:
0008-4271
Electronic ISSN:
1918-1841
Topics:
Geosciences
,
Agriculture, Forestry, Horticulture, Fishery, Domestic Science, Nutrition
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