phosphorus

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Cross-7

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I had soil test done on two different fields. They are within a couple hundred yards of one another.
In the last 3 years.
Both have had haygrazer on them.
One has been baled once and winter grazed.
The other has had very little grazing but baled two years in a row.

The one that hasn't been grazed and baled calls for phosphorus.
The one that's been grazed doesn't needs phosphorus.

Is phosphorus necessary ?
If I quit baling and graze it will it amend itself ?
 
grass need p205 to grow.


put it on or face great yield losses.
 
"Agricultural Research Station at Renner" (Texas...now engulfed in Plano, Tx.) was created back in the '60's from TAMU (TAM College back then) PhDs and local farmers and businessmen. Purpose was to reclaim the Texas "Blacklands" (Houston, heavy black clay) after the "Cotton is King" rape of the agricultural region.

I have a hard-bound copy of their work and in there they show results of their soil/crop testing with results showing that N without P is a waste of money! Lack of P is a waste of potential production assets. In other tests they tried other variations from min NPK to excessive and the fact that if it doesn't wash away, it remains in the soil if unused.....for your next crop. That's why soil testing is necessary to get max benefit from your soil with minimum expense..........assuming that mother nature is working with you....not against you.
 
I don't know about other types of grass but Bermuda,which is predominantly what we have here, needs phosphorus to protect it during winter. Not sure exactly how it utilizes it when dormant but it's what I've read in UGA studies. Maybe it stores it prior to dormancy.

Chicken litter is usually a very good source of P. Phosphorus is expensive but, as mentioned above, it doesn't leach. So once you build levels up it's just a maintenance issue then, which is a lot easier on the pocketbook.
 
Thanks
The recommended rate is about 75 an acre.
I may split it and apply half now and the other half later, so it doesn't sting so bad.
 
Yes.
Yes. Amount of time to mend depends on how tight you cross fence it to get more uniform trampling and manure distribution.
What is the soil ph?
 
This is good info. I'm on blackland that was cotton farmed for years. Thousands of acres are still Cotton farmed about a mile south of me, but slowly turning to corn.
 
Stocker Steve":2lpeczpe said:
Yes.
Yes. Amount of time to mend depends on how tight you cross fence it to get more uniform trampling and manure distribution.
What is the soil ph?

Shows 6.7
 
Lots of way to change soil chemistry test results due to differences in sampling methods and differences in how recommendations are calculated. And then some cows don't manure uniformly in the pasture... So soil testing is an art, not a science.

Search for phosphorus and grass and "critical value". I think you will find that your ppm is above the critical value, and so you will want to be conservative with purchased fertilizer.
 
Stocker Steve":2cgwad3c said:
Lots of way to change soil chemistry test results due to differences in sampling methods and differences in how recommendations are calculated. And then some cows don't manure uniformly in the pasture... So soil testing is an art, not a science.

Search for phosphorus and grass and "critical value". I think you will find that your ppm is above the critical value, and so you will want to be conservative with purchased fertilizer.
And a lot of witchcraft mixed in. ;-)
 
Grid testing is commonly done for each 2.5 acre section of a field. With grid testing:
What you usually find on ex livestock farm crop acres are higher P & K values near a gate, and lower values in far corners. Blame the manure spreader.
What you usually find on pastured paddocks are higher values near water, shade, and loafing areas. Blame the cows.
What you usually find on rolling ground in the artic vortex are different soil types in high and low areas. Blame the glacier.

So a composite, average the entire field together soil sample, is a general guess, and not something I would recommend. A 200% to 300% ppm variation is common in a single field. :eek: At a minimum - - sample the high and low producing areas separately. :nod:
 
Comes with a book of color coded maps. Shows the highs and lows of everything. Crazy how much even the ph will vary in a single field. Can be plugged in to fert. truck to spread variable rate. Instead of a average of the field. The dap will however through the n off with variable rate. A little spendy for cow ground 8 bucks a acre here.
 
I'm not exactly sure why, but I've found that manure applied from composted corralled cows is MUCH more effective than the cows crapping out in the field.. I've wintered cows on a field, fed them tons there, lots of manure, no benefit.

I could "write" something by driving the manure spreader around and it would be visible for several years
 
Nesikep":18ztdool said:
I'm not exactly sure why, but I've found that manure applied from composted corralled cows is MUCH more effective than the cows crapping out in the field.. I've wintered cows on a field, fed them tons there, lots of manure, no benefit. I could "write" something by driving the manure spreader around and it would be visible for several years

Compost can be pretty concentrated, and most folks never calibrate a manure spreader, but you may be spreading more nutrients per acre than a cow would.

The other issues are availability and stability and timing. Much N in manure can evaporate, some will run down the hill, and the rest will be tied up initially breaking down fiber. So you could end up with less N available short term... I think the nutrients in compost are more available, and more likely be released during the growing season.

Manure heads get into nutrients vs. carbon, percents of percents, and lbs. available per acre per year. The numbers can be a bit discouraging, especially if you do not incorporate.
 
well, I've fed the cows all winter on a 6 acre patch and gotten no visible results (other than potholes)
clean the corrals (less cow-days of feed) and spread it on the same acreage and see great results

I wish I could keep the cows corralled all winter, but they get too fat and lazy, and it's too hard to keep them clean
 

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