Field experiments were conducted at the Research Centre and the Zero-Till Farm, Manitoba, Canada, during 1999-2000, 2000-01 and 2001-01, wherein rape and spring wheat were sown using conventional tillage (CT) and no-till (NT) in the first year of study. The crops were supplemented with 0, 22 or 44 lb P 2O 5/acre, side-banded at sowing. After rape and spring wheat harvest, the stubble in the CT plots was tilled. In the second year, flax was sown into both stubbled and tilled plots, and supplemented with P fertilizer side-banded at 0 or 44 lb P 2O 5/acre. The roots were evaluated for mycorrhizal association at 5 weeks of growth and seed yield was collected at crop maturity. The P nutrition of flax was most influenced by the preceding crop in rotation, while tillage system and P fertilizer management had minor impact on flax. Comparative data on the effect of P fertilizer application to current year flax, previous crop type and P fertilizer management, and tillage system on mycorrhiza incidence and flax seed yield are tabulated.
