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Variation in yield between two similar sandy loam soils. II. Causes of yield variation in cabbage and lettuce crops
Author(s) -
COSTIGAN P. A.,
McBURNEY T.
Publication year - 1983
Publication title -
journal of soil science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.244
H-Index - 111
eISSN - 1365-2389
pISSN - 0022-4588
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2389.1983.tb01060.x
Subject(s) - seedbed , loam , sowing , agronomy , soil water , fertilizer , crop , yield (engineering) , potassium , compost , biology , horticulture , chemistry , materials science , metallurgy , ecology , organic chemistry
Summary Three experiments were conducted to discover the causes of difference in yields of cabbage and lettuce when grown on two similar sandy loam soils. In a glasshouse experiment the growth of lettuce was the same on both soils provided the soil was moist and had sufficient thoroughly incorporated fertilizer. Sowing the seeds of cabbage in small pockets of compost in the seedbed increased growth on both sites by about 25%. Placement of a large amount of extra fertilizer about 10cm below the drill line imporved growth on the poor site only. A third experiment followed the development of the yield difference in a lettuce crop. An 86% difference in potassium concentration was recorded even before emergence. This was followed by a reduction in lateral root growth on the poor site and subsequently by a lower relative growth rate from emergence until about 40 days from sowing. In conclusion, the growth on the poor site was limited because the amount of native soil potassium was madequate for the needs of the developing seedlings and the fertilizer granules could supply potassium to only a small proportion of seedlings.