Thursday, August 15, 2013

Fall Fertilizer

Regardless of price, I depend on my fall spread to supply most of the nutrients I think my crop is going to need the next year.  This year I am looking at 100 AMS, 100 MAP or 11-52-0, 200 potash, 100 lbs pellet lime and the amount of micro nutrient I think each field needs from the summer tissue test.  My tests finally came back Sufficient to High on the Midwest test so I am in pretty good shape for micro nutrients after years of applying nutrients.  My glyphosate amounts are nearly non detectable now after getting away from glyphosate and glufosinate which highly chelate minerals.

Our reader and follower Brad Law in Missouri posted this on Crop Talk and I though it deserves sharing.So I got to wondering and reading and reading this info.

Look how the roots span out....if you place it roots will get there? Too little too late?
Lots of farmers are asking questions about fall fertilization.  Potash could be cheaper with the Russian control breakup in the news last week.  I haven't priced it yet to tell.

Other notes from my reading:
Ammomia sulfate only accounts for 2% of all N fertilizer sold in the us....
Ammomia sulfate is (NH4)2SO4

Soil organic matter

Nutrient Supply. Upon decomposition, nutrients are released in a plant-available form. While maintaining current levels. Each percent of soil organic matter in the top 6 inches (15.2 cm) of a medium textured soil (silt and loam soils with a bulk density of 1.2) releases about 10-20 pounds of nitrogen, 1 to 2 pounds of phosphorus, and 0.4 to 0.8 pounds of sulfur per acre per year.

SOM - soil organic matter

An acre of soil 6 inches (15.2 cm) deep weighs approximately 2,000,000 pounds, which means that 1 percent SOM weighs about 20,000 pounds per acre. Under average conditions it takes at least 10 pounds of organic material to decompose into 1 pound of organic matter, so it takes at least 200,000 pounds (100 tons) of organic material applied or returned to the soil to add 1 percent stable organic matter under favorable conditions.

http://soils.usda.gov/sqi/assessment/files/OM_guide.pdf

The original poster was concerned about soil phosphorous.  John has taught me that my potassium and boron are more critical to my plant health and yield.  I can stand low to sufficient in phosphorous but not in potassium and boron here.

What are your fall fertilizaton plans?  If you have radish planted and growing now, that is an entirely different subject!  Radish releases more nutrient than any crop I have planted and the more you plant them the better the release gets!

Ed

1 comment:

  1. Thank you for the shout out Ed.

    Thank you for your direction and help also. It's hard to step outside the box of what everyone else is doing. Talking with "the group" via email has sure helped me along so thank you for the introductions.

    My fert plan is 100# ams, 50p, 100k , 2b, 2zn and ?? Depends on what my plant analysis says. Mine will get applied when I have the money for it.....fall/winter/spring....

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