Soil Sulfur Deficiency Restricts Canola ( Brassica napus ) Productivity in Northwestern Russia Regardless of NPK Fertilization Level

Aleksei Dobrokhotov (), Ludmila Kozyreva, Mariia Fesenko, Victoria Dubovitskaya and Sofia Sushko
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Aleksei Dobrokhotov: Agrophysical Research Institute, Grazhdanskiy Prospect 14, 195220 Saint-Petersburg, Russia
Ludmila Kozyreva: Agrophysical Research Institute, Grazhdanskiy Prospect 14, 195220 Saint-Petersburg, Russia
Mariia Fesenko: Agrophysical Research Institute, Grazhdanskiy Prospect 14, 195220 Saint-Petersburg, Russia
Victoria Dubovitskaya: Agrophysical Research Institute, Grazhdanskiy Prospect 14, 195220 Saint-Petersburg, Russia
Sofia Sushko: Agrophysical Research Institute, Grazhdanskiy Prospect 14, 195220 Saint-Petersburg, Russia

Agriculture, 2023, vol. 13, issue 7, 1-13

Abstract: Canola cultivation at high latitudes is becoming more promising in terms of modern climate change. Sustainable crop production requires an understanding of yield-limiting factors, which need to be adjusted in agricultural management first. Therefore, our study was aimed at examining the effect of climate and soil fertility factors on the canola yield from 2012 to 2015 in northwestern Russia. Simultaneously, effectiveness of chemical fertilizer (N 65 P 50 K 50 and N 100 P 75 K 75 ) rates was tested. Studied soils had light texture, high acidity and severe sulfur deficiency. Canola yield (Y) varied from 0.81 to 1.60 t·ha − 1 for the observed period. Applied fertilizer increased Y by around 30%, but this change was not significant. Climate effect testing with the FAO-AquaCrop simulation showed no noticeable water and heat stresses for the study period (0% to 20% reduction in potential Y). Among the tested soil properties, the content of organic carbon, available nitrogen and sulfur significantly correlated with Y (r = 0.58–0.66). Combining these factors together with soil pH in a path model explained 60% of variability in Y. Importantly, sulfur had the highest and most significant effect in this model. Thus, this soil parameter is the main yield-limiting factor in the study area, which must be the first to be adjusted in agricultural practice.

Keywords: Albic Retisol; soil fertility parameters; climate effect; FAO-AquaCrop model; path analysis (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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