Response of Canola and Flax to Humic acid coated P fertilizer (MAP) rates

Project Summary

Both SaskCanola and Saskatchewan Flax Development Commissions have expressed an interest in having humic acid fertilizer studies conducted. This attention originated from their producer boards and members and was suggested to Agri-ARM as a potential ADOPT demonstration. Although the existing literature and private industry/retailers claim humic acid benefits crops and improve fertilizer utilization, there are no research trials in Saskatchewan to back this hypothesis.

It has been asserted that humic acid reduces the fixation of available phosphorus in the soil, activates the insoluble phosphorus, and increases the soluble phosphorus in the soil or directly reacts with the phosphate fertilizer to promote phosphorus absorption by plants. Since Saskatchewan soils have very low available P levels and given the high cost of fertilizers in the past few years, using humic acid blended with various inorganic P fertilizers may help improve fertilizer P recovery and increase economic returns for Saskatchewan growers.

This project investigates the response in canola and flax to humic acid-coated phosphorus fertilizer (MAP) rates.