CB—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, January 21,1984
MADISON, Wise. Farmers
may improve yields by applying
additional phosphate on soils
already high in phosphorus, says
E.E. Schulte of the University of
Wisconsin-Madison Soil Science
Department.
“Though a soil may have a high
amount of phosphorus in it, far
mers should consider row ap
plication of additional phosphate
under certain soil conditions,” he
states.
Added phosphate can help in
soils that are cold at planting time;
soils with a high- phosphorus
fixation capacity; and acid soils,
explains Schulte. It can also aid
plants with shallow roots, he adds.
“Recent tests have shown that
row phosphorus application can
increase yield if done correctly,”
he remarks. “This, of course, can
put extra money into farmers’
pockets.
“Though these experiments
were done with dry fertilizer,
research shows that similar
results can be expected from fluid
fertilizer,” Schulte says.
Phosphate in fluid fertilizers is
100 perent water soluable and
more readily available for plant
uptake when applied as a solution,
compared to dry fertilizers which
can be as low as 14 percent. Fluid
application also provides the
farmer with exacting formulations
and easier handling for timely
application.
Cold soils
Row-applied phosphate is
especially helpful in cold climates
or during early spring planting,
notes Schulte.
“Roots develop slowly in cold
soil,” he says, “so a high con
centration of phosphate close to the
roots will help increase phosphorus
intake.
“The additional phosphate will
give the plant nutrients that are
otherwise slow in coming under
these soil conditions,” he remarks.
“As the soil warms, roots will then
draw from the phosphorus already
there.”
Also, adds Schulte, cool soil
slows down the micro-organisms
that break down organic
phosphorus in the crop residues
and soil organic matter.
He points to a test run recently in
Marshfield, Wise., where com was
planted early in the spring in 54-
degree temperatures in high-test
phosphorus soil. Compared to com
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1984 VEGETABLE
CONFERENCE
Hershey Convention Center, Hershey, Penna.
TUESDAY, JAN. 31, FEB. 1 & 2
Sponsored by Pa. Vegetable Growers Association,
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Some conditions require more phosphate
where row-applied phosphorus was
not added, com with additional
phosphate showed increased yields
from 15 to 34 bushels an acre.
“This is important to farmers
who need to plant early to get the
most from short growing seasons,”
says Schulte, “and for those in the
South who doublecrop.
“Farmers may want to use more
phosphate on soils that warm
slowly later in the spring because
they retain water or are clayey,”
he notes. “Soils on northern slopes
also warm later because they don’t
receive direct sunlight.”
He remarks that phosphorus
application could also help in high
phosphorus no-till fields where
crop residues retain water and
Penn State
forestry
UNIVERSITY PARK - Penn
State’s School of Forest Resources
and the Cooperative Extension
Service is sponsoring two sessions
to assist forest landowners and
managers.
The First “Forest Management
and Water Quality” has been
chosen as the topic for the 1984
Forestry Issures Conference
scheduled for March 13 and 14 at
the Keller Conference Center.
Increased management and
harvesting are accentuating the
importance of implementing sound
practices to protect water quality.
The program will be com
prehensive, discussing the water
resources base, water quality
terminology and the laws that deal
with nonpoint-pollution. Speakers
will also provide information
relating to road construction and
design, cable logging, alternative
forest access systems, the unpact
of silvicultural systems, effects of
whole tree harvesting, movement
and persistence of forest
management chemical and forest
recreational uses. Municipal
watershed management, acid ram
impacts, waste water and sludge
applications in the forest and
fisheries management will be
covered under discussions of
special use situations.
This Conference will be useful to
forest managers or anyone who is
interested in protecting water
shade the soil. Both of these fac
tors, says Schulte, reduce soil
temperatures.
Acid soils
Strongly acid soils absorb
phosphorus from the soil solution
and form insoluble phosphates that
plants cannot utilize. Like cool soil,
acid soil also slows micro
organism activity that breaks
down organic phosphorus into
forms that plants can re-use.
These are cases where ad
ditional phosphate can help young
plant growth by providing a
readily available source of
phosphorus close to the developing
roots, says Schulte.
In recent tests in Arlington,
Wise., lime and row-applied
plans
sessions
quality. For more information,
contact the Ag Conference Coor
dinator, J.O. Keller Conference
Center, University Park, PA 16802
or Forest Resources Extension, 110
Ferguson Bldg., University Park,
PA 16802(814-863-0401)
The second session will be a five
day intensive short course in forest
management for private woodland
owners and will be held at the
University Park Campus of Penn
State on July 23-27. Instructors of
the course will be Jim Grace and
Jim Finley of the School of Forest
Resources and the Cooperative
Extension Service. Prerequisite
for the course is an interest in
managing forestland.
No prior training in forestry is
required of participants and topics
covered will include dendrology,
forest measurements, basic
sulviculture and produce
marketing. The course will be
limited to 30 students. Further
information may be obtained by
contacting Forest Resources
Extension. Registration materials
will be available at University
Park and Berks County Extension
Office in the spring.
phosphorus were used on acid soil.
Com grain yields were increased
both by liming and applying row
phosphorus, but the highest yield
was obtained where row
phosphorus and lime were applied,
illustrating the connection between
soil acidity and phosphorus
availability, notes Schulte.
“Soils with a high fixation
capacity should also benefit from
row-applied phosphate,” he states.
“Phosphate applied in a narrow
band comes into contact with less
soil and, therefore, is less likely to
become ‘fixed’ in unavailable
form.”
Shallow-rooted plants
Shallow-rooted plants are also
likely to respond to row
phosphorus in high-test
phosphorus fields, says Schulte.
m
Even in high phosphate soils, row applied phosphate can help
plant roots and shoots develop in soils that are cold due to
early planting, cold spring temperatures or high residue/no till
conditions.
“With short roots, the plant is not
able to gather as much phosphorus
from the soil,” he explains, “so
added phosphorus can help the
plant get the nutrients it needs and
aid yield production.”
Schulte also points out that
additional phosphorus can hasten
plant maturity and reduce grain
moisture at harvest time.
“Tests have shown that added
phosphorus can result in up to five
percent moisture reduction,” he
adds. “This can save the farmer a
significant amount of money at
drying time and also give him a
more timely harvest.”
Schulte concludes that it is
important for farmers to know
their soil and know how best to
treat it for maximum yields and
profit.