Want to plant better crops? Introducing the man to help you
Emily Plihal,
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
An Alberta man has published a book that is sure to help farmers make informed decisions on what fertilizers to use to yield bumper crops.
SARDA Ag Research consultant Kabal Singh Gill wrote Repeated Annual Applications of Fertilizers and Seeding Systems Affect Crops, Soils, and Soil Moisture, a compilation of research sure to help ag producers make decisions.
“Fertilizer use is an integral part of current crop production systems,” says Singh Gill.
“Optimization of fertilizer use is critical for optimum crop production, minimize costs and avoid environmental pollution,” he adds.
“We conducted research on use of commonly used fertilizers based on soil tests to determine their optimum rates for main crops (canola, wheat, and barley) for six years.”
He says compiling the results from years of research in one place was the objective, that it would facilitate the information availability for producers and other readers.
“Researchers usually hope to write books to provide the knowledge gained during their work to their intended beneficiaries, agricultural producers and other researchers,” explains Singh Gill.
“Producers will benefit by finding in one source related to various benefits from optimization of fertilizer use for optimum crop production, minimize costs, and avoid environmental pollution.
“Also, other researchers will be able to conduct further research for other areas and crops to help the producers.”
The book took more than a year from starting to final publication, and Singh Gill says it is now available for purchase at www.generis-publishing.com.
“The publisher contacted me to write a book on this research,” he explains. “After the publisher read our research articles in journals, they felt a complete book should be compiled.”
The book is based on six years of research on soil tests based on different fertilizer rates each year, repeated on the same soil and under two seeding systems for a canola-cereal (wheat/barley) rotation.
“Objectives were to demonstrate how soil testing can optimize fertilizer use, increase growth, yield, and root proliferation of crops, improve properties and nutrients levels of soil, and enhance soil moisture use by crops,” says Singh Gill.
“Soil testing can help to optimize fertilizer use while enhancing crop production, and consequently minimize environmental pollution.”
Singh Gill started working with SARDA in October 2005. He worked as a full-time consultant until December 2017 and is now working as a part time consultant to write research articles in journals, planning projects and doing presentations.
He adds he has been approached by another publisher to write a book on intercropping effects on the production of seed crops and forages.
Emily Plihal,
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
South Peace News
