Response of Winter Wheat to Chloride Fertilization in Sandy Loam Soils

Chloride (Cl) as a yield and growth-limiting nutrient has been the object of experimental attention for the last several decades. Long-term experiments were conducted from 1996 to 2002 at Hennessey and Perkins, Oklahoma to evaluate the response of winter wheat grain yield and nitrogen (N) uptake to 0, 15 and 30 kg Cl ha rates. A randomized complete block experimental design with three replications was used at both sites. Grain yield data were subjected to statistical analysis using SAS. Polynomial Orthogonal contrasts were used to detect trends in grain yield and N uptake to chloride levels. Chloride fertilizer significantly increased wheat grain yields in 50% of the site-year combinations (14 total site years), and the increases were more notable on the sandy loam soil included in this study.