Purpose
This trial will validate and/or update the current Provincial (Ontario) nitrogen (N) response recommendations for oats, with and without fungicides where appropriate. Recent research has shown synergy between fungicide and nitrogen in winter wheat (Hooker et al, 2015). This trial investigates if any similar synergy exists in oat, in Northern and Eastern Ontario.
The Maximum Economic Rate of Nitrogen (MER-N) will be calculated from data generated by nitrogen response trials. This information will be used to support or adjust current N recommendations in the OMAFRA Agronomy Guide, Publication 811. In 2006, existing genetic resistance to crown rust in oat was overcome by the development of a new crown rust strain in Southwestern Ontario. This strain spread rapidly to Eastern Ontario, but has not yet reached Northern Ontario. Crown rust in oat is a particularly devastating disease. Due to the lack of genetic resistance to crown rust in any current varieties, the trials were only conducted under a fungicide spray regime in southwestern Ontario. Data generated where crown rust develops would not measure the response to N, thus there was no purpose in N response trials without fungicide in this region.