A Common Fertilizer' . • .
Phosphorus Required by All Living
Phosphorus has long been re
cognized as the “sparkplug” m
the fertilizer mixture. Without it,
crop yields will be limited al
though levels of nitrogen and
potash may be high.
Phosphorus is present in all
living tissue. It is particularly
concentrated in the younger parts
of the plant and in the flowers
and the seed.
However, phosphorus is one of
the least understood and most
complex of the elements used as
fertilizer, despite the fact that it
is so necessary.
This is because phosphorus will
not “stand alone” m the soil as
nitrogen, potassium or calcium
do. It tends to form a compound
and remain in the soil until ex
tracted by the plant root.
PHOSPHATES DO not move
readily m the soil, and accumula
tions are usually in the first foot
of soil Some soils that have been
in production long enough to de
plete the total phosphorus supply
will have a phosphorus layer con
siderably deeper.
Most of the total supply is tied
up m a form that is not usable by
the crop in a single growing sea
son—it is not available to the
growing plant. The available soil
phosphorus originates from the
breakdown of soil minerals, from
soil organic matter or from the
previous addition of phosphate
fertilizer The available soil phos
phorus usually is only about one
per cent of the total soil phos
phorus.
IT IS THE PROBLEM of get
ting fertilizer available to the
plant that is greatest concern to
most farmers Traditionally the
use of superphosphate, contain
ing 20 pounds of phosphate per
100 pounds of material, has been
recommended
Recently, however, the use of
a new material, lock phoshate has
come into the picture Many farm
ers still are not quite clear on rU
use and what they can expect
from it in return
In work at Penn State done
some years ago by Dr Merkle, it
was found that rock phosphate
worked veiy well m Pennsylvania
soils The only objection was in
price
The Penn State work also re
flected findings at Beltsville and
BIG
WHITE
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V
shcfpkhty ofzfn
P. L ROHRER
& BRO., INC.
SMOKETOWN, PA.
Ph. Lane, EX 22659
oiher experiment stations in sug
gesting that the best use for rock
phosphate was in deep rooted le
gumes and on forage crops.
THE LONGER the rotation, the
better the rock phosphate will be
utilized. It takes eight to 10 years'
to wear out, although the bulk of
the phosphorus will be released
in the first few years.
Soil acidity or pH is also a fact
or to be considered when using
rock phosphate. The best results
with rock phosphate have occur
led in the acid soils of the corn
belt states. Experimental work
has shown that a mildly acid con
dition will help in the breakdown
ot rock phosphate into a solu
able form that the plant can use.
The crop to be grown also must
be considered when deciding to
use rock phosphate- Species of
plants differ markedly in their
capacity to absorb phosphorus.
AT BELTSVILLE phosphorus
from phosphate rock was found
to be most available to buck
wheat. Legumes* (alfalfa, crotal
ane and Ladino clover) extracted
more phosphorus from rock phos
phate grasses (orchard grass,
„bromegrass, perennial ryegrass,
milet and oats.)
Crops with a low capacity to
absorb the relatively msoluale
calcium phosphates should bene
fit if they follow a crop with a
high capacity. Planting pasture
mixtures that combine these two
types of crops may make it pos
ROCK PHOSPHATE
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BEACON
sible for the species with a low
capacity to absorb these phosphat
es.
At the Massachusetts agricul
tural experiment station it was
found that oats grown in associa
tion with red clover gained 32 per
cent in yield and 62 per cent in
total phosphorus uptake compar
ed to oats alone.
GEORGE BERGGREN, agron
omy specialist at Penn State,
points out that fineness of rock
phosphate is very important. The
material is relatively insoluable
and therfore should be capable of
pasing through a 200 mesh screen.
Berggren also pointed out the
danger of using rock-phosphate
on cash crops such as corn where
yields must be kept high. While
the content of the
soil wil be high, most will be un
available to the plant.
Therefore a normal, or near
noimal, application of super
phosphate should be made.
Another reason for the applica
tion of superphosphate at plant
ing time is the way the plant
uses phosphorus.
ABOUT HALF the total phos
phorus used in the plant is ab
sorbed when only 20 per cent of
the total growth has occurred.
The smaller root system during
the period of early growth and
competition for available phos
phorus by micro-organisms ex
plain the need for large supplies
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of available phosphorus in the
early stages of growth.
Mentioned earlier was the fact
that Penn State research found
that rock phosphate was too ex
pensive to use. Dr. Merkle and his
asociates believed that rock phos
phate could be purchased econo
mically when the price of one ton
of 20 per cent superphosphate
was equal to that of two tons of
lock phosphate
THE PRICE FOR 20 per cent
superphosphate this week was
quoted at $33.50 a ton m bulk, de
in ered and spread. The price for
the rock form was $24.50, deliver-
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Sales & Service
Maim & Grumelli Farm Serv.
Quarryville, Pa.
L. H. Bmbaker
Lancaster, Pa.
Snavelys Farm Service
New Holland, Pa.
N. G. Myers & Son
Rheems, Pa.
Things
ed and spread. This gives a ratio
ot about 1 4 to one, somewhat
iless than the two to one ratio re
commended.
More recent ersearch, especial
ly in Illinois and Missouri, has'
found that the returns are some
what greater on rock that was be
lieved formerly. Therefore the
price spiead may closer as far as
value is concerned.
Rock phosphate is a long terra
investment, just about the same
as ground limestone.
About three per cent of the
phosphorus will be available each
year, or about 60 pounds per ton.
R. S. Weaver
Stevens, Pa.
Nissley Farm Service
Washington Boro, Pa.
L. H. Brubaker
Lititz, Pa.