scholarly journals Effects of withholding fertiliser on pasture production and phosphate cycling in hill country

Author(s):  
J.S. Rowarth ◽  
A.G. Gillingham

A large-scale phosphate (P) fertiliser grazing trial was carried out at Whatawhata Research Centre between 1980 and 1984. The effect of 5 fertiliser rates (10, 20 30, 50 or 100 kg P/ha) on pasture production, plant P uptake, dung P distribution, dung decomposition and Olsen P concentration were monitored on 4 slope groups (campsites, O-10"; easy, 1 I-20"; moderate, 21-30" and steep, 31" +). Soils collected from each slope and fertiliser treatment were used in a pot trial to investigate the size of the plant available P pool. Results can be used to interpret data from field trials where fertiliser has been withheld. Initially, pasture production or Olsen P will change little because the most productive areas of the paddock receive large amounts of dung P which buffer the effect of fertiliser withdrawal. On these areas P is cycled more rapidly than on steep slopes, further buffering the system against P deficiency. Small changes in Olsen P do not reflect the more rapid changes in inorganic P or plant-available P. As inorganic P becomes depleted, plant P uptake decreases. The associated decrease in dung P return and the slower rate of dung decomposition contribute to a slowing of the P cycle. The net effect is less feed and slower regrowth after grazing. Recovering from this state will require not only P fertiliser but also time for high producing pasture species to regenerate. Keywords phosphate cycling, topdressing, fertiliser, pasture production, hill country, dung

Author(s):  
A. G.Gillingham S. Richardson ◽  
I.L. Power ◽  
J. Riley

From June 1984 to May 1988 a large-scale grazing trial at Whatawhata Research Centre evaluated the effects of a halt to previous superphosphate fertiliser application on hill country production. Over the 4-years pasture production, pasture species composition, stock grazing days or Olsen P soil fertility status were little affected as a result of halting topdressing. Pasture production declined most on 'easy' ( lo-20° slope) slopes after a halt to fertiliser application. The decline was greatest (lo- 13 %) where previous rates of fertiliser had been high. Total production on 'steep' (30~40° slope) slopes did not decline significantly. However, at soil test (Olsen P) levels of less than 10 the pasture moss and dead matter content increased, indicating a deterioration in pasture quality. Legume content did not decline. Within the range of normal topdressing rates to hill country (O-30 kg P/ha/yr) Olsen P tests did not reflect topdressing differences or any effects of a halt to fertiliser application. At higher topdressing rates (50-100 kg Plhalyr) the effect of continued or discontinued topdressing was reflected predominantly in the O-3 cm soil depth. A halt to previous topdressing significantly reduced available grazing over the final 3 years. This decline reflected the decline in measured pasture production. Keywords Phosphate, fertiliser, hill country, residual effects


2008 ◽  
Vol 43 (7) ◽  
pp. 893-901 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sidney Netto Parentoni ◽  
Claudio Lopes de Souza Júnior

The objective of this work was to determine the relative importance of phosphorus acquisition efficiency (PAE - plant P uptake per soil available P), and phosphorus internal utilization efficiency (PUTIL - grain yield per P uptake) in the P use efficiency (PUE - grain yield per soil available P), on 28 tropical maize genotypes evaluated at three low P and two high P environments. PAE was almost two times more important than PUTIL to explain the variability observed in PUE, at low P environments, and three times more important at high P environments. These results indicate that maize breeding programs, to increase PUE in these environments, should use selection index with higher weights for PAE than for PUTIL. The correlation between these two traits showed no significance at low or at high P environments, which indicates that selection in one of these traits would not affect the other. The main component of PUTIL was P quotient of utilization (grain yield per grain P) and not the P harvest index (grain P per P uptake). Selection to reduce grain P concentration should increase the quotient of utilization and consequently increase PUTIL.


1985 ◽  
Vol 65 (1) ◽  
pp. 47-60 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. GIROUX ◽  
T. SEN TRAN

The objective of this study was to evaluate different available P extracting methods in relation with soil properties, oat yield and plant P uptake. Six chemical extractants (Bray-1, Bray-2, new Mehlich, North Carolina DA-4, DA-10, and Olsen) and two anion exchange resins (F− and HCO3−) were compared on 42 acid soils. The DA-4, DA-10, new Mehlich, and HCO3− resin methods showed the best correlation with oat yield and plant P uptake. The Bray-1, Bray-2 methods were significantly less correlated than the other methods. The HCO3− resin was better than F− resin to predict plant P uptake and yield. Available P levels as determined by these eight methods were classified poor, medium and rich by the Cate and Nelson procedure. Oxalate extractable Al, pH (NaF), pH (H2O), exchangeable (Ca + Mg), forms of P, maximum P fixation capacity and soil texture have great influence on the plant P uptake. Soil organic matter content and oxalate-extractable Fe had significantly less important an effect. The Bray-1 and Bray-2 methods were the most affected by soil properties especially oxalate-extractable Al. The P-HCl/P-DAF ratio proposed by Mehlich to identify forms of soil P indicated that seven soils contain predominantly Ca-P and 21 soils with predominantly Al-P and Fe-P. This ratio was related with oxalate extractable Al (r = − 0.32*), pH NaF (r = − 0.59**), pH H2O (r = 0.52**) and exchangeable Ca + Mg (r = 0.55**). The maximum P fixation capacity (M) ranged from 150 to 4200 μg P/g soil and was closely related with oxalate-extractable Al (r = 0.81**), pH NaF (r = 0.74**), pH H2O (r = − 0.36*) and Mehlich ratio (r = − 0.33*). The maximum P buffering capacity (Mb) of soils was also measured and showed the best correlation with oxalate-extractable Al (r = 0.84**) and pH NaF (r = 0.53**). Key words: Soil testing, available P, anion exchange resins, P fixation, oxalate-Al, forms of P


Soil Research ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 58 (3) ◽  
pp. 289
Author(s):  
L. B. Braos ◽  
A. C. T. Bettiol ◽  
L. G. Di Santo ◽  
M. E. Ferreira ◽  
M. C. P. Cruz

The evaluation of phosphorus (P) transformations in soil after application of manure or mineral P can improve soil management and optimise P use by plants. The objectives of the present study were to assess organic and inorganic P forms in two soils treated with dairy manure and triple superphosphate and to establish relationships between soil P fraction levels and P availability. Soil organic and inorganic P fractions were quantified using a pot experiment with two soils, a typical Hapludox and an arenic Hapludult, with three types of fertiliser treatments applied (no fertiliser application, application of dairy manure, and application of triple superphosphate, by adding 100 mg P dm–3 in the form of fertiliser in the two latter treatments) and four incubation times (15, 45, 90, and 180 days). Inorganic P was fractionated into aluminium-bound, iron-bound, occluded, and calcium-bound P. Organic P was extracted sequentially using sodium bicarbonate, hydrochloric acid, microbial biomass, sodium hydroxide, and residual organic P. After incubation, maize plants were cropped to quantify dry matter yield and absorbed P. Application of dairy manure resulted in a significant increase in most of the organic P fractions, and application of triple superphosphate led to a significant increase in inorganic P fractions. Both fertilisers raised labile organic P fractions in the two soils. The major sinks of P in Hapludox were occluded and fulvic acid-associated P. In contrast, the major sink of P in Hapludult was iron-bound P. The available P levels were stable after application of dairy manure, and decreased with time when fertilised with triple superphosphate. In the Hapludox, the organic P fractions had a significant positive correlation with P uptake by plants. The results suggest that organic P mineralisation plays a more significant role in plant P uptake in the Hapludox soil and inorganic P forms are the main contributors to plant P uptake in the Hapludult soil.


Soil Research ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 58 (2) ◽  
pp. 117 ◽  
Author(s):  
Musibau O. Azeez ◽  
Gitte Holton Rubæk ◽  
Ingeborg Frøsig Pedersen ◽  
Bent T. Christensen

Soil phosphorus (P) reserves, built up over decades of intensive agriculture, may account for most of the crop P uptake, provided adequate supply of other plant nutrients. Whether crops grown on soils with reduced supply of other nutrients obtain similar use-efficiency of soil P reserves remains unclear. In treatments of the Askov Long-Term Experiment (initiated in 1894 on light sandy loam), we quantified changes in soil total P and in plant-available P (Olsen P, water extractable P and P offtake in wheat grains) when P-depleted soil started receiving P in rock phosphate and when P application to soil with moderate P levels ceased during 1997–2017. Additionally we studied treatments with soil kept unfertilised for >100 years and with soil first being P depleted and then exposed to surplus dressings of P, nitrogen (N) and potassium in cattle manure. For soil kept unfertilised for >100 years, average grain P offtake was 6 kg ha–1 and Olsen P averaged 4.6 mg kg–1, representing the lower asymptotic level of plant-available P. Adding igneous rock phosphate to severely P-depleted soil with no N fertilisation had little effect on Olsen P, water extractable P (Pw), grain yields and P offtake. For soils with moderate levels of available P, withholding P application for 20 years reduced contents of Olsen P by 56% (from 16 to 7 mg P kg–1) and of Pw by 63% (from 4.5 to 1.7 mg P kg–1). However, the level of plant-available P was still above that of unfertilised soil. Application of animal manure to P-depleted soil gradually raised soil P availability, grain yield and P offtake, but it took 20 years to restore levels of plant-available P. Our study suggests symmetry between rates of depletion and accumulation of plant-available P in soil.


2015 ◽  
Vol 35 (4) ◽  
pp. 1571-1579 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ramiro Recena ◽  
José Torrent ◽  
María Carmen del Campillo ◽  
Antonio Delgado

2004 ◽  
Vol 84 (4) ◽  
pp. 459-467 ◽  
Author(s):  
Md. Abul Kashem ◽  
Olalekan Oluwole Akinremi ◽  
Geza Joseph Racz

Information on the extractable P in soils treated with different organic amendments and how it changes with time is important to a sound management of manure addition to agriculture soils. This laboratory study investigated the impact of adding municipal biosolids, hog and cattle manures and monoammonium phosphate (MAP) on extractable P in soils. Phosphorus was added at rates of 0, 110, 220, 440 and 880 mg P kg-1 for the Osborne soil (Gleysolic Humic Vertisol), and 0, 123, 307 and 614 mg P kg-1 for the Lakeland soil (Gleyed Rego Black Chernozem) in the form of biosolids, hog manure, cattle manure and MAP. The soils were incubated at field capacity for 1, 4, 16 and 32 wk after which they were extracted using H2O, NH4Cl, NaHCO3 (Olsen P), and the Kelowna and Mehlich-3 extracts. Regardless of extractant and soil, extractable P was small 1 wk after adding biosolids (17-93 mg kg-1 as Olsen P) and large with MAP (59-672 mg kg-1 as Olsen P) while hog and cattle manures were intermediate between biosolids and MAP (20-461 mg kg-1 as Olsen P). In biosolids-amended soils, extractable P increased slightly with increasing incubation time indicating net P mineralization. With MAP, extractable P declined from 672 mg kg-1 after 1 wk to 157 mg kg-1 after 16 wk of incubation at the highest P application rate in the Osborne soil. In the Lakeland soil, the decrease in extractable P with MAP addition was small (from 398 to 332 mg kg-1) and was similar to the changes with cattle manure P with incubation time. Extractable P with cattle manure in the Osborne soil and with hog manure in the Lakeland soil did not change with incubation time. In both soils, extraction efficiency was in the order of H2O < NH4Cl < NaHCO3 < Kelowna < Mehlich-3. Across P application rates, the efficiency of added P as measured by NaHCO3 increased only with biosol ids from 12% after 1 wk to 21% after 32 wk of incubation, while it decreased in the same period from 55 to 44% with hog manure, from 34 to 32% with cattle manure and from 74 to 17% with MAP in the Osborne soil. Soil samples taken 4 wk following addition o f hog and cattle manures should reflect plant-available P, while soil samples taken within the same period following the application of biosolids are likely to underestimate plant-available P. Key words: Extractable phosphorus, organic amendments, soils, single extraction, incubation


2013 ◽  
Vol 373 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 711-722 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sean D. Mason ◽  
Mike J. McLaughlin ◽  
Caroline Johnston ◽  
Ann McNeill

Author(s):  
M.G. Lambert ◽  
P.C. Luscombe ◽  
D.A. Clark

Soil, pasture and animal responses to 2 levels of superphosphate were measured within a farmlet trial, at Ballantrae hill country research area, near Woodville, during 1975-80. Soil and pasture measurements were also made for 3 years before the trial started. Pastures, which were dominated by low-fertility-tolerant grasses (LFTC;), moss and flatweeds, were oversown with 4 legumes before the trial started. Soil Olsen P level was 5 under untopdressed pasture in 1973, and 9 in 1975 after application of 500 kg/ ha superphosphate. Superphosphate rates were 120 (on low fertiliser areas q LF) and 640 (on high fertiliser areas = HF) kg/ ha/ yr average during 1975/80. Annual pasture production (adjusted for variable summer rainfall) was 7.1 t DM/ ha from untopdressed pasture and 8.1 t following 500 kg superphosphate/ ha in 1973-74. LF production rose to 8.5, and HF to 12.0, in 1980. Legume contribution rose from 5% in untopdressed pasture to 18% and 23% in LF and HF respectively in 1975/76. By 1979/80 legume contribution had steadily declined to 10% on both treatments, probably due to a measured increase in soil N availability and increased competitiveness of associated grasses. Ryegrass content rose at both fertiliser levels, while LFTG content fell; these trends were greatest under HF. Winter stocking rate was increased from 6 to 10.9 and 14.9 su/ha on LF and HF-respectively. Per animal performance did not decrease. A range of techniques which could increase efficiency of superphosphate use in hill country is discussed. These techniques include: selective application to responsive pastures; spring application; grazing management to encourage legume growth.


Author(s):  
A.G. Gillingham ◽  
J. Maber ◽  
J. Morton ◽  
M. Tuohy

The fertiliser requirements of hill country vary with soil type, slope and aspect-related factors which govern pasture production potential and species composition. In most situations, the topographic complexity is such that only very broad differentiation in land units can be made when aerially applying fertiliser. The traditional method of aerial topdressing is for superphosphate to be flown on at a common rate over large blocks of complex topography by fixed-wing aircraft. Advances in geographical positioning system (GPS) and aircraft technology now allow aircraft to fly accurately defined track spacing and so achieve optimum uniformity of fertiliser spread. The same technology could be used to vary fertiliser application rate along a flight path according to predetermined recommendations and through links to a farm geographic information system (GIS) map. This approach could also be used to apply different fertiliser types. In a desktop study the effects of differential, compared with uniform, fertiliser application policies, on animal productivity and economic returns were examined for three contrasting hill farm situations using a combination of trial results and the AgResearch PKS Lime Programme. Results showed that for a farm with a low soil P status (Olsen P =9), that stocking rate could be increased by 0.5 su/ha, and the economic return by 7.5%, by differential, rather than uniform fertiliser application. In a similar but higher soil P status farm (Olsen P = 15), the increase was 0.9 su/ ha and 10.1% respectively. In a summer-dry situation where nitrogen fertiliser could be substituted for some P fertiliser, a differential policy designed to optimise production gave a 2.1 su/ha and 43% net margin increase, compared with the uniform application of a typical rate of maintenance P fertiliser only. The results from the desktop study are discussed in relation to the practical aspects of developing differential fertiliser application methods. This will relate to extra fertiliser application cost, and the definition of practical sized land units and fertiliser forms, which will all have some effect on the net economics of a differential application policy. Despite these unknowns, the technology would appear to offer real gains to the hill country farmer. Keywords: economic return, fertiliser application, GIS, GPS, hill country, phosphate


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