Evaluation of Micro Carbon Technology® - Based Foliar Phosphorus Fertilizer for Improved Grain Yield and Quality of Spring Wheat.

Huma Gro^® Super Phos^® (SP; 0-50-0) by Bio Huma Netics Inc. (Gilbert, AZ) is a Micro Carbon Technology^® – based phosphorus (P) fertilizer formulated to resist “tie-up” with calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg) to remain water soluble and available to plants. This product has been proven to efficiently aid P uptake in cold, high pH and calcareous soils. A field experiment in spring wheat was conducted during the 2013 and 2014 seasons near Conrad, MT. The objective was to compare the effectiveness of topdress and foliar application of SP, with traditional P fertilizers – APP, DAP, and TSP – for optimizing spring wheat grain yield and quality. Two P application rate/time combinations were evaluated: 33 kg P₂0₅  ha^-1 rate was applied at seeding as a sidedress (treatments 3, 5, and 7) and 16.8 kg P₂0₅ ha^-1 rate - at tillering (as a foliar spray of APP - treatments  4 and 6, and a sidedress of DAP – treatment 8). Treatments 3 and 4 received P as SP, treatments 5 and 6 – as APP, and treatments 7 and 8 – as DAP. In both years, the best-yielding treatment was treatment 3 (Huma Gro^® Super Nitro^® followed by 33 kg P₂0₅ ha^-1 rate applied at seeding as SP). Super Phos® has performed very well in terms of achieved grain yields, with acceptable grain protein levels. Substantial advantage in grain production was noted with SP application in 2013, and especially – in 2014 season, where both grain yield and grain test weights were highest. This two-year study results also indicate that SP is less corrosive and less likely to cause damage to the seeds as a dribble and suggest that SP could be applied with the seed at a higher rate compared to other P sources. Further analysis is required to fully access the economic efficacy of Super Phos® compared to traditional P fertilizers.