Fertilizer soil test results

[BobReeves]

Delivered a soil sample to the Oklahoma State University test facility and received the results yesterday. This is from the acre of ground I have been planting sunflowers in. They didn't do very well last year and now I know why. Report says I need to spread 10-20-10 at 10 pounds per 1000 sq/ft. If my math is correct that is 435 pounds of fertilizer, wow!

I have a cone 3 point spreader, purchased last year at an auction. Price was too good to pass up and is in great condition. The field has been plowed and will disk it in the spring.

1. Should I spread the fertilizer before I disk?
2. The spreader has no markings, how do you figure out how much you are putting down?
3. Where would I get the best price on fertilizer? Big box is right at $1.00 a pound which is not worth it for a throw away crop of sunflowers.

Thanks and hope everyone has a great Christmas.

 

[LAA]

Rounding up to 440 total pounds of 10-20-10 and what it means is you need 44 pounds of nitrogen,
88 pounds of phosphorous and 44 pounds of potassium per acre, this can be delivered in many
different combinations, as a blend on in indidual applications. For example, Urea is 46-0-0 so
100 pounds of urea fertilizer would supply 46 actual pounds of nitrogen, Triple super phosphate
is roughl;y 0-43-0 so 100 pounds of Triple super phosphate would supply 43 pounds of actual
Phosphorous, Potassium Chloride is roughly 0-0-52, so 100 pounds of potassium chloride would
supply 52 actual pounds of potash. You need approximately 1/4 ton, any ag fertilizer distrubtor
in your area will probably blend that amount for you and if so, it will be your cheapest option
by far, just tell them what you need and they will formulate the blend from whatever base
products they have available. The fertilizer place should have spreader buggies that they either
rent for a very nominal fee or which they allow customers to use for free when they buy
fertilizer, if you go in the off season when they are not so busy there should be no problem but
if you go when all the people buying much larger quantities are buying then you probably wont get
a buggy. Other than that a local feed and seed or tractor supply or real ag supply should have
sacked material that you can buy and just round off the amount needed as close as you can, a few
pounds extra certainly will not hurt. If your small spreader has no settings just open it about
1/4 of the way and cover the whole acre, checking fairly often for how much is left, after
rolling over the whole acre the first time you can judge how amny rounds to empty the spreader or
open the slot more or whatever you want to do , just as long as you get it fairly evenly spread
over the whole acre it will work just as well. I would definitely spread the fertizer before
disking, lime as well if any was called for.

 

[showcrop]

That is, I think, kind of a lot for one pass application, especially where your spreader is new to you. I suggest first searching on line for information on your spreader. Then, since you have plowed but not yet disced I would make one pass over it with the disc before spreading any fertilizer. Next, I would make my best guess at a setting for the spreader in order to apply half of it, then measure 50 lbs into it, spread it, and then measure the area that the 50 lbs covered. If close make an adjustment then put the rest of the first half on. Then finish your discing except for one last pass, Then apply the other half of the fertilizer, then lightly disc it in. Many guys like to set the spreader a little light if unsure, and go back again rather than run out. Once you are familiar you will be doing it as if GPS controlled.

 

[westga]

What is your soil PH?

 

[Bob Bancroft]

It looks like you've gotten lots of good advice already.

If you decide to split up application, which I think is a good idea, you could get some "potash" [potassium chloride][KCl] and spread it any time conditions permit. Then you would have some idea how it's going to go.

The experts say phosphorus doesn't move much in the soil, so should be placed close to the seed. So you'll want to do that at or near planting.

Nitrogen is easily lost into the air, or washed away. So it wants to be applied when the crop can use it. Ideally, you would top dress the crop when it's small, just before a nice rain shower.

 

[modirt]

My test for hay said I needed about 80# N, 75# P and around 150# K to bring things up to test and to maintain production at 3 ton per acre. In theory, that is an annual event.

I'm familiar with dry fertilizers, but dumping that much dry fertilizer on the surface would mean it mostly stays near the surface. One alternative I've heard of is liquid fertilizers as used on commercial garden operations.

I'm familiar with liquid fertilizers in small amounts, but not in such large quantities. Does anybody have experience with liquids at these levels and how does it work?

What is the cost, vs. dry?

 

[Bob Bancroft]

I bit the bullet several years ago and started paying the big money for the convenience of liquid N.

So far as I know, K is not available as liquid.

Many around here use liquid P for its convenience. When I looked into that several years ago it was almost twice the price of dry for same amount of actual P.

With all the rain here in NY, putting fertilizer on, or near the surface is usually not a concern.

 

[Lazy WP]

All I have ever been around is liquid fertilizer. Yoy
can blend about anything you want into liquid form.
Potash needs to be mixed with 10-30-0 along with
some minugel, but you better have LOTS OF
AGITATION. Shoot, I have planted well over 30,000
acres of Alfalfa using a liquid sprayer. Just takes
time and practice. Plus you better hope that you
don?t have an engine let go. Things start to get
exciting then.

 

[mjbrown]

Number one primary limiting factor is
drainage. If the soil is poorly drained
nothing else you do will improve your crop.
Number two is soil pH. If it is low
(acidic) fertilizer won't help much nor
will seed genetics or timeliness. Address
these factors first then fertilizer,
qaulity seed and timely planting begin to
pay off in a good crop.

 

[504]

When we sowed clover, the field was ready and we took the seed to the fertilizer plant where they put the seed in the mix as they made up our batch. one pass across the field with the buggy, then one with the cultimulcher,or a light discing. Nothing left to do but pray for rain.

 

[Northvale PA]

Over the years I have had some soil tests done. Similar results in that the recommendation was a big
amount. So I put down about half but have also put on lime every 2 years. I grow hay exclusively. Here
is the thing, between gully washing rain storms and dry spells, I think if I would have thrown the
recommended rates on, half of that would have washed away or just laid there until it washed away
anyway. When it comes to growing hay, the proper amount of rain fall, and dry times to harvest and
weed control probably are the biggest factors affecting profit. If I had a bumper crop but it got rained on,
I have nothing but junk. No profit regardless of fertility. Less top quality hay is always better than more
mediocre hay. So, for a niche crop I would think 1/2 the fertilizer and concentrate on marketing for higher
profit is the route to take. Then, if you do manage to grow more profitably, buy more fertilizer as the
demand increases. Assuming you sell your crop.

 

[BobReeves]

Report is in my office but it says the PH is fine. Discovered we have a fertilizer plant close. Going to see if they sell it in bags I can handle after the holidays.

The idea of applying 1/2 then disking then the other 1/2 sounds like a good plan to me.

Thanks

 

[modirt]

(quoted from post at 11:12:36 12/25/18) Over the years I have had some soil tests done. Similar results in that the recommendation was a big
amount. So I put down about half but have also put on lime every 2 years. I grow hay exclusively. Here
is the thing, between gully washing rain storms and dry spells, I think if I would have thrown the
recommended rates on, half of that would have washed away or just laid there until it washed away
anyway. When it comes to growing hay, the proper amount of rain fall, and dry times to harvest and
weed control probably are the biggest factors affecting profit. If I had a bumper crop but it got rained on,
I have nothing but junk. No profit regardless of fertility. Less top quality hay is always better than more
mediocre hay. So, for a niche crop I would think 1/2 the fertilizer and concentrate on marketing for higher
profit is the route to take. Then, if you do manage to grow more profitably, buy more fertilizer as the
demand increases. Assuming you sell your crop.

I could see doing liquid N, and what they pump from the deep pits and lagoons of hog confinement operations is high in P, but didn't see how a liquid K was going to work and all this coming from jugs and buckets or even 55 gallon drums. I know what a ton of fertilizer weighs and how much that covers and was struggling to see how that much P and K can be packed into a pull type sprayer as was suggested it could be done.

If surface application of dry potash and phosphate works, I can do that in summer after harvest of 1st crop, or later after harvest of 2nd. Do the big dump then to give it all time to "weather in" for the following year, with a smaller amount of N (like 15 or 20 pounds) for fall growth. Then top dress the balance of the required N in late spring just as it's needed to grow the main crop. I would never put that much on in a single application. Also, once dirt is up to test, it becomes a put and take situation.

I also apply lime as needed as per test. One concern is the closest source of ag lime also appears to be high in magnesium, which I don't need any excess of.

BTW, I'm in a horse hay market, and primarily brome and timothy. We get 35 to 40 inches of rain a year. Average in summer months is 4 to 5 inches per month, but I've seen all that come on one day.....after 30 days of no rain. Like one foot in ice water.....the other it boiling water......on average, you are comfortable.

 

[JD Seller]

Well 10-20-10 is not a very common fertilizer mix used in production agriculture. So like another poster stated lets look at what your actually getting in 436 LBS. of 10-20-10.
Nitrogen/N 43.5 lbs.
Phosphorus/P 87 lbs.
Potassium/K 43.5 lbs.

So in a more common fertilizer. you would need
200# of DAP or 18-46-00 and 75# of Potash 0-0-60
This would get you:
36# N
92# P
45# K

Real close but just a touch light on nitrogen. Sunflowers are close enough to corn that I would wait until they are knee high and side dress a little extra nitrogen then.

The thing is the DAP and potash are readily available farm fertilizers. Just about any Farm fertilizer dealer would have it on hand. Plus your cutting back on the pounds needed to be applied. I have walked that much on with a spin spreader.

As for tillage I would put it on and then disk it in. If your ground is not frozen and you do not spring plow then you could apply it now. Right before a light rain or snow would be perfect. That would "bind" the nutrients to the soil. A gully washer would wash some of it away.

The Potash needs 4-6 months to activate so that is why most guys fall apply it.

 

[JK-NY]

I would run over it once with the disk before you spread- I imagine it's fairly rough being only plowed and
that will affect your spreading not to mention a rough ride. I think a lot of the responses may have
missed that you are only doing 1 acre . After you spread your fertilizer you can finish your tillage as you
normally would. As far as figuring out how much your applying do you have a manual for the spreader or
is there a chart on the side to help you set it up ? If not I would look online for the manual- if you know
the make of spreader a lot of times you will find the information you need on manufacturer or distributor
websites.Then it's a matter of how wide of a pattern you make with the fertilizer , how far apart to run
and the proper speed. Merry Christmas.