Thesis title: Changes in soil test phosphorus and phosphorus forms with continuous phosphorus fertilizer addition to contrasting prairie soils

Description:
Concerted efforts by scientists have been concentrated on phosphorus (P) studies throughout the decade since P is a limiting nutrient in most soils. Inappropriate or excessive use of P fertilizers has been linked to environmental pollution, including heavy metal contamination in soils, and P runoff leading to eutrophication of water bodies. In this study, different rates of P fertilizer was applied each year  at 7 different locations using 3 sources of mono-ammonium phosphate containing low, medium and high concentrations of cadmium, for a total of 10 treatments with four replications at each site. The sites were cropped annually using a durum wheat-flax cropping sequence.
Following the new P regulation in the Manitoba province, requires that farmers apply fertilizers based on the crop P requirements. Different fertility management strategies are required by the regulation for different soil test P values. Knowing the rate at which soil test P values changes with continuous addition of P fertilizers to the soil will be valuable for P management by Manitoba farmers.

Research objectives:
•    To estimate the influence of continuous P fertilization on STP change with time for different soil types
•    To determine and relate the soil P budget (P removal minus P fertilization) to soil-test P trends
•    To determine the rate of P transformation in soils with relation to time.

Supervisor:
Dr. Wole Akinremi

Expected date of completion:
Fall 2013

Previous Degree:
B. Agric (Soil Science), Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria (2007)

E-mail:
Oluwatoyin.Onabanjo@ad.umanitoba.ca