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Sukhdev
Malhi, Ph.D.
Research Scientist - Soil Fertility and Plant Nutrition
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada( AAFC)
Melfort Research Farm
Highway 6 South, P.O.
Box 1240, Melfort, Saskatchewan S0E 1A0
Telephone: (306) 752-2776 (230)
Fax: (306) 752-4911
Email: malhis@agr.gc.ca
Sukhdev's
AAFC webpage
Research Activities Related to Organic Crop Production
Title
Sustaining organic grain and oilseed production with proper nutrient
management in Saskatchewan.
Objectives
To develop acceptable and effective management practices
for preventing nutrient deficiencies under organic farming for agronomic,
economic, soil quality and environmental considerations.
Field experiments (joint) are underway or planned in 2008-09 to address soil nutrient concerns in organic cropping systems:
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1) Influence of tillage, input level and cropping diversity on crop yield, produce quality, nutrient distribution in the soil profile and soil quality under alternative cropping systems (Malhi, Vera, Kutcher, Lemke);
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2) Increasing availability of P from rock phosphate with Penicillium bilaii and its effect on crop yield (Malhi, Brandt);
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3) Feasibility of wood ash, composted manure, other organic amendments and rock phosphate in preventing P deficiency in organic crops (Malhi, Vera, Lemke);
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4) Feasibility of wood ash, composted manure, other organic amendments and elemental S in preventing S deficiency in organic crops (Malhi, Vera, Lemke).
Brief Synopsis of Other Current Research
Research Objectives
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Mechanisms of N losses, nutrient cycling and greenhouse gas emissions in soil-plant systems.
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Development of effective and efficient fertilizer management practices (i.e., rate, source, time, method and mode of application) to prevent nutrient losses, improve yield and economics of crop production and minimize damage to the environment.
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Investigation of long-term effects of tillage, crop residues and N fertilization on C sequestration and soil properties.
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Influence of balanced fertilization in reducing disease severity and improving yield of oilseed, cereals and pulse crops.
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Sustaining organic grain and oilseed production with proper nutrient management in Saskatchewan
Research Publications
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Malhi, S.S. and Nyborg, M. 1979. Nitrate formation during winter from fall-applied urea. Soil Biol. Biochem. 11:439-441.
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Malhi, S.S. and Nyborg, M. 1985. Methods of placement for increasing the efficiency of N fertilizers applied in the fall. Agron. J. 77:27-32.
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Malhi, S.S. and Nyborg, M. 1986. Increase in mineral N in soils during winter and loss of mineral N during early spring in north-central Alberta. Can. J. Soil Sci. 66:397-409.
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Malhi, S.S. and Nyborg, M. 1992. Placement of urea fertilizer under zero and conventional tillage for barley. Soil Tillage Res. 23: 193-197.
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Malhi, S.S. 1995. Influence of source, time and method of application, and simulated rainfall on recovery of nitrogen fertilizers applied to bromegrass. Fert. Res. 41: 1-10.
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Malhi, S.S., Nyborg, M. and Solberg, E.D. 1996. Influence of source, method of placement and simulated rainfall on the recovery of 15N-labelled fertilizers under zero tillage. Can. J. Soil Sci. 76: 93-100.
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Malhi, S.S. and Heier, K. 2000. Effectiveness of elemental S fertilizers on forage grass. Can. J. Plant Sci. 80: 105-112.
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Malhi, S.S., Zentner, R. and Heier, K. 2001. Banding increases effectiveness of fertilizer P for alfalfa production. Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems 59: 1-11.
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Malhi, S.S., Harapiak, J.T., Nyborg, M., Gill, K.S., Monreal, C.M. and Gregorich, E.G. 2002. Total and light fraction organic C in a thin Black Chernozemic grassland soil as affected by 27 annual applications of six rates of fertilizer N. Nutrient Cycling Agroecosystems : (in press).
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Malhi, S.S., Nyborg, M., Harapiak, J.T. and Heaney, D.J. 1995. Long-term effects of ammonium nitrate application on soil pH, and micronutrients in soil and in bromegrass hay. In R.A. Date et al. eds. Plant-Soil Interactions at Low pH, Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dorecht, The Netherlands pp. 105-110.
Achievements
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Identified mechanisms of N losses and factors that affect the efficiency of fall-applied N and developed practical methods for optimizing crop-N-use efficiency.
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Determined reasons for lower crop yields under zero tillage than under conventional tillage and developed N fertilizer management techniques to increase the availability of applied N to crop plants.
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Developed effective and efficient fertilizer management practices to maximize forage yield and quality for perennial crops.
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Determined long-term effects of soil, crop and fertilizer management practices on soil quality.
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Identified appropriate time of soil sampling for accurate N and P fertilizer recommendations.
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Determined the feasibility of slow-release urea fertilizers and elemental S fertilizers on grassland.
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Identified techniques for reducing soil acidification effect of N fertilizers.
Other Activities -
Member of Canadian Society of Soil Science, Soil Science Society of America, American Society of Agronomy, International Society of Soil Science, International Soil and Tillage Research Organization.
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Member of Editorial Board for Soil & Tillage Research Journal.
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Adjunct Professor of Soil Fertility.