Soil nutrient stratification and uptake by wheat after seven years of conventional and zero tillage in the Northern Grain belt of Canada

The distribution of NaHCO3-extractable nitrate-N, ammonium-N, phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) with soil depth (0 to 20 cm in 5-cm increments) at Fort Vermilion (58°23′N 116°02′ W), Alberta, was described in the 7th and 8th years of conventional and zero tillage following placement of red clover (Trifolium pratense) green manure (GM), field pea (Pisum sativum), canola (Brassica rapa) and monoculture wheat (Triticum aestivum) residues. Soil nitrate-N concentrations under zero tillage were greater than those under conventional tillage in the 0–5 cm soil layer, below which the concentrations were similar. Ammonium-N and K concentrations followed a similar pattern. However, soil P concentrations were usually not different between tillage systems in the 0–5 cm soil layer, but the concentrations decreased more under zero tillage than under conventional tillage at lower depths. A notable exception for soil phosphate was under canola residues, where the concentration was greater under zero tillage than under conventional tillage at all depths. Uptake of N, P or K by a subsequent wheat crop was usually greater (though not always significantly) under zero tillage than under conventional tillage, and there were no interactions between tillage and crop residue. Therefore, differences in nutrient stratification between the two tillage systems did not translate into differences in wheat nutrient uptake. Key words: Conservation tillage, crop rotation, nutrient uptake, soil nitrogen, soil phosphorus, soil potassium