Evatt, Nathan

Gray, Carl

Riewe, Marvin E.

Welch, Charles

Westfall, Dwayne

Texas A&amp;M Repository

l-772CROP FERTILIZATION ON COASTPRAIRIE AND COASTAL BEND SOilSCharles D. Welch, Carl Gray, Dwayne Westfall,Nathan Evatt and Marvin E. Riewe*Land resource regions, Figure 1, represent about11 million acres of forest, crop and rangeland.Annual rainfall ranges from 26 inches in the westto 55 in -'hes in the east. A portion of this regionis coastal mar 11, poorly drained, with limited pro-ductive use.Soil CharacteristicsSoils range from light brown to black and fromands to clay in the surface. Subsoils, generally,are higher in clay but some coa tal marsh soils showonly slight changes from the surface downward. j\.few reas have salt accumulations that limit usefor c op production. Some soils in the CoastalBend have caliche outcrop's or exposed subsurfacelayer, creating nutritional as well as managementproblem often difficult to correct.Ba e statu of soils varies from acid to -alkalineinfluen ed by parent materials and rainfall. Clay• Respectively, Extension soil chemists, Texas AgriculturalExtension ervice; assistant pro 'essor and associate professor,Texas A&M University Research and Extension Center,Beaumont; and associate professor in charge of Texas A&MUniversity Research Center, Angleton.Figure 1. location of Coast Prairie, Coastal Marsh and CoastalBend Regions12.7type varies but montmorillonitic types generallypredominate. Such clays are difficult to maintainin a desirable physical condition, often creatingmanagement problems.Soil Fertility LevelsSoil characteristics, past fertilization and crop..ping practices have resulted in a wide range ofsoil fertility levels. Soil test summary data, Table1, show 80 percent of soils in the Coast Prairie and33 percent in the Coastal Bend low in phosphorus.More Coast Prairie soils are low in potas ium thanCoastal Bend.Nt P20 5 and K20 for Maior CropsThe wide range in soil fertility levels and man-agement practices in this region call for fertilizationadapted to specific production requirements.Therefore, soil tests properly calibrated to expressavailable nutrients and correlated with crop re-sponse are the best guide to profitable fertilizationand liming. Two important criteria needed forselecting the profitable rate of nutrient are: (1) thelevel of available nutrient in the soil and (2) theexpected yield or production goal.Many soil properties, as well as extractablenutrients, mu t be evaluated in grouping soils, asa means of expressing the level of available nutri-ents. Depth of sampling is important especiallyfor perennial sod crop. For established pastures,collect soil to a depth of 3 to 4 inches. See D-494,Soil Sample Information Sheet for Field Crops.The expected yield, which expresses potential pro-ductivity, includes anticipated moi lure and man-agement conditions.Rates of N, P'205 and K20 at varying oil testlevels and expected yields for major crops are shownin Table 2 through 12. The soil test levels areused by Texas A&M University. To use these tables,determine the soil test level in the left column andread across to the expected yield column for nutri-ent rate. For example in Table 2 a soil low (L) innitrogen, low (L) in phosphorus and medium (M)in potassium would show a 60-40-30 for 4,500pounds of grain sorghum.Agricultura Extens·on Service • n, Dir ctor Col Sta ·0Table 1. Percentage distribution of Coast Prairie and Coastal Bend soils in five levels for pH, organic matter, phosphorus and potas-sium1Soil testlevelVLLMHVHOrganicmatter Phosphorus PotassiumSoil pHcp2 CB2 cp2 CB2 CB2 CB2 range cp2 CB:4 0 61 18 19 1 Below 5.0 1 016 12 17 15- 26 1 5.1-5.5 5 025 45 13 35 22 2 5.6 - 6.0 18 023 28 5 20 15 31 6.1 6.5 28 332 15 4 12 18 65 Above 6.5 48 97IFrom soil test summaries, Soil Testing Laboratory, Agricultural Extension Service, Texas A&M University.2CP-Coast Prairie, CB--Coastal Bend.Table 2. Application rates of nutrients for grain sorghum-three production levelsExpected yield Expected yield3,000 IblA 4,500 Ib/ASoil testlevel N P20 li K20 N P20 li ~OVL 40 30 30-50 70 50 50-60L 30 20 20-30 60 40 30-50M 20 0 0-20 50 30 20-30H 0 0 0 0VH 0 0 0 0Table 3. Application rates of nutrients for cotton-three production levelsExpected yield Expected yield1 balelA 1'/2 balelASoil testlevel N P20 li K20 N P20 li K:zOVL 60 60 60·80 80 80 80-100L 40 50 40-60 60 70 60-80M 20 40 30-50 40 50 40-60H 0 0 0 0-VH 0 0 30 20-40Expected yield6,000 Ib/AN P20 li K20100 70 80-10090 60 60-8080 50 40-6030 30-400 0Expected. yield2 balelAN P20li ~O100 100 100-12080 90 .80-10060 70 60-800 060 30-60Table 4. Application rates of nutrients for rice--two levels of managementRegular varieties High N varieties For second ·crop-Soil testlevel N P20 li ~O N P20 li ~O N P:zO. ~OVL 100 40 40-60 120 40 40-60 -60 0 0L 80 40 30-50 100 40 30·50 50 0 0M 60 20 20-30 80 20 20-30 40 0 0H 0 0 0 0 0 0VH 0 0 0 ·0 0 0Table 5. Application rates of nutrients for corn-three production evelsExpected yield1 Expected yield2Soil test60-70 bulA 90-100 bulAlevel N P:zOli ~O N P:zOli K:zOVL 80 50 50-70 120 80 80-100L 60 40 30-50 100 70 60-80M 40 30 20-30 80 60 40-60H 0 0 30 30-40VH 0 0 0 0IPlant population 8,000-10,000 plants per acre.2Plant population 12,000·14,000 plants per acre.'Plant population 16,000-18,000 plants per acre.N- 160140120_ ...Expected. yield'120-130' bulA1201008040o'._:"..1/K:z0100-12080-10060-8030-60oCalcium, Magnesium and SulfurSoils in the Coast Pr-airie vary in base status.However, oil te t ummary data in Table 1 show52 percent samples tested below pH 6.5. CoastalBend soils generally are less acid with only 3 percentof the samples below pH 6.5.Sufficient amples have not been analyzed toindicate the extent of magnesium deficiency inTable 6. Application rates of nutrients for ryegrass, oats andsimilar winter grasses (no legume)lProduction from Nov. 15 through April 15. An additional 50 lb. of Ncan be used to extend ryegrass grazing into May.Table 7. Application rates of nutrients for establishing andmaintaining ~ Louisiana white clover with grassthese regions, but it probably is greatest-iri the moreacid sandy soils. Use of dolomitic limestone, con-taining at least lO percent magnesium carbonate,is the most economical way to apply magnesium.Sulfur needs and response in the Coastal regionare being studied, but a general need is not antici-pated because of industrial wastes and other meansby which sulfur is added to the soils.Tabl.e 8. Application rates of nutrients for common bermuda,Dallis and similar summer grasses-two grazing intensities (nolegume)llWith a legume such as vetch, peas or clover apply P20S and K20 inthe fall and delay nitrogen until that furnished by the legume has beenused. Increase rates of P20S and K20 50% if clover is planted in fall.2Production between April 15 and October 15.Soil testAt or before seeding Maintenance for grazingTable 9. Application rates of nutrients for establishing coastallevel N P20S1 ~O2 N3 P20 S K20 bermudagrassVL 30 180 180-220 0 100 180-220 At sprigging First SummerL 25 140 120-160 0 75 130-150 Soil testM 20 100 90-110 0 50 80-120 level N P2O$ K20 N P2O$ ~OH 60 30-50 30 50-70VH 0 0 0 0 VL 40 80 70-90 40 0 40-60L 30 60 60-80 30 0 30-50llf these rates are applied, the phosphorus level should be medium or M 30 40 50-70 30 0 0above for maintenance. H 0 0 0 02May apply half the spring followin3 seeding.3Nitrogen topdressing may be neede in mid-season, depending on man- VH 0 0 0 0agement, grazing requirements and clover growth.Table 10. Application rates of nutrients for 3 levels of coastal bermudagrass hay production (no legume)Expected yield Expected yield Expected yield6 tons! A 8 tons! A 10 tons!ASoil testlevel N P20 S K20 N P20 S K20 N P2O$ K20VL 280 80 180-220 400 100 280-320 550 120 380-420L 220 60 120-160 320 80 220-260 480 100 320-360M 180 40 70-90 280 60 160-200 360 80 240-280H 0 0 40 80-120 60 180-220VH 0 0 0 0 40 80-120Table 11. Application rates of nutrients for annual summer forages-three production levelsExpected yield Expected yield Expected yield3 to 4 tons! A 5 to 6 tons!A 9 to 10 tons! ASoil testlevel N P20 S K20 N P20s K20 N P2O$ K20VL 120 60 80-120 220 80 130-150 300 100 160-200L 100 '-40 60-100 200 60 100-140 280 80 120-160M 80 30 40-80 180 40 60-100 260 60 100-120H 0 0 -20 30-50 40 40-80VH 0 0 0 0 0 0reason, the following factors are presented for uselHigh calcium crops are legumes and legume grass mixtures. The pHlevels under low-calcium crops are for grasses and row crops.2May be increased % ton per acre for soils high in montmorillonite.LIMING ACID SOILSThe soil pH _hould be known before limingacid soils, as well as the cropping system and soilprOPerties.Rates of limestonepH level1 Rates in tonI acre2SandyHigh Ca low Co looms Clay &crops crops Sands & loams clay loams6.0-6.3 5.8-6.0 1 1 1/2 25.6-5.9 5.4-5.7 1 V2 2 2%5.0-5.5 5.0-5.3 2 3 4form to the other.multiply by .44multiply by 2.3multiply by .83multiply by 1.2In converting from oneFrom P20 a to PFrom P to P20 aFrom ~O to KFrom K to K20llnoculated soybeans are able to obtain nitrogen from the air. However,on new fields where soybeans have never been grown, up to 20 to 30pounds of N per acre may be included in the fertilizer application to getthe crop established until good inoculation is attained.MicronutrientsThe micronutrient group includes seven ele-ments-iron, zinc, manganese, copPer, boron, molyb-denum and chlorine. Although general micro-nutrient deficiencies are not confirmed, localizedproblems with zinc and iron have been encountered.More information about iron and zinc is availablein Extension Leaflets L-721 and L-723, availablefrom your county agricultural agent.Table 12. Application rates for soybeansFor the production of fromSoil test35 to 40 bulAlevel N1 P20a 1<20Vl 0 60 90-110l 0 40 60-80M 0 20 30-40H 0 0VH 0 0Magnesium Soil TestMagnesium is being measured as a routine soiltest. The following recommendations are:Conversion FactorThe principle involved in using micronutrientsis the same as for other nutrients. That is, identifyand confirm the need, then apply amounts suf-ficient to meet the production requirement.lbl A magnesium1 RatinglRefers to the soil testing methods and calibrations used by Texas A&MUniversity laboratories.2Dolomitic limestone containing at least 10% magnesium carbonate shouldbe used for liming soils that ore low in this nutrient.Fertilizers are labeled as percent P20 5and K20,and soil test values are reported in these terms.However, plant analyses results are usually re-ported as percentages of the element. For this0-7575-250Above 250low2MediumHighCooperative Extension Work in Agriculture and Home Economics, Texas A&M University and the United States Department ofAgriculture cooperating. Distributed in furtherance of the Acts of Congress of May 8, 1914, as amended, and June 30, 1914.2y:!M-3-7I

Crop Fertilization on Coast Prairie and Coastal Bend Soils.

https://oaktrust.library.tamu.edu/bitstream/1969.1/165019/4/772/Leaf0772.pdf

Crop Fertilization on Coast Prairie and Coastal Bend Soils.

Abstract

Similar works

Full text

Available Versions

Texas A&M Repository

Crop Fertilization on Coast Prairie and Coastal Bend Soils.

Abstract

Similar works

Full text

Available Versions

Texas A&amp;M Repository

Texas A&M Repository