Grassland correction, advice required on soil results.

[Farmer_Joe]

Not sure this is correct section but you boys much know more about this sort of stuff in just a pauper upland farmer,

getting alot of moss so thought i would check soils,

what you rekon to stick on for some correction, these fields are usually cut and get alot of muck after,

looks like they want a top up of p though?

would you got neat p if you can get it or a npk nix with low nitrogen?

 

[deleted user 837354]

I would send your soil samples to Yara next time as they produce the results in a lot clearer format, including your indices.

The thing for you to buy is a load of 0.24.24 and either put on 1 cwt/acre or 2cwt/acre to taste. The first 2 fields want 1cwt, the second 2 fields want about 1.5-2 cwt. It's ok to apply a snifter more than required as you will be cutting anyway and taking a lot of P and K away.

Do not apply lots of Potash land you intend to graze mind. If you were to apply it and then take 2 or 3 good cuts of silage, and then graze the aftermath, you'd probably be ok but you would still be advised not to do it.

 

[tr250]

Have you got the results that’s a recommendation sheet

 

[tr250]

I would send your soil samples to Yara next time as they produce the results in a lot clearer format, including your indices.

The thing for you to buy is a load of 0.24.24 and either put on 1 cwt/acre or 2cwt/acre to taste. The first 2 fields want 1cwt, the second 2 fields want about 1.5-2 cwt. It's ok to apply a snifter more than required as you will be cutting anyway and taking a lot of P and K away.

Do not apply lots of Potash land you intend to graze mind. If you were to apply it and then take 2 or 3 good cuts of silage, and then graze the aftermath, you'd probably be ok but you would still be advised not to do it.

These should be fine but there’s another sheet that should go with it

 

[Farmer_Joe]

sorry here

so to be clear all the fields bar 'new seeds' are usually grazed then shut out and cut, after cutting they get a dose of muck theoretically to restore the potash thats taken from cutting!!

wierd how new seeds show similar results to big meadow as they are treated nothing alike! new seeds is just grazed.

 

[Farmer_Joe]

heres some more to add confusion, these are all grazed, often put muck in them to but much less,

obviously these have a lime recommendation do you work out prills at the same weight as std lime for application?

i dont need much so i dont think it will be worth locals guys effort but i will ask.

numbers 3,4,5 here im fairly comfortable with and recommendation is very little, just field 1,2 that want attention.

 

[tr250]

heres some more to add confusion, these are all grazed, often put muck in them to but much less,

obviously these have a lime recommendation do you work out prills at the same weight as std lime for application?

i dont need much so i dont think it will be worth locals guys effort but i will ask.

numbers 3,4,5 here im fairly comfortable with and recommendation is very little, just field 1,2 that want attention.

To sort your moss I would lime first. I would have thought out of season someone will be keen to do the job or when nearby. Then look into your drainage ditches etc then when those are sorted start looking at the p&k your looking for all 2s and 3s personally in your position I’d put 250 kg/ha of 0-24-24 (2cwt)/acre if your of a certain age

 

[Farmer_Joe]

its pretty well drained, we did a hell of alot on the 80s with grants,

to be fair the recommendation in the results is for 2, -2 mainly looks like its short of p, am i right in thinking a good dose of much will restore the k?

To be fair might just be as easy to get some 0 -24-24 stuck on soon wile its dryish!

why do they only recommend 40kg per heactare for correction of the lowest p am i missing something??

will definitely lime the fields listed here.

 

[teslacoils]

Lime.
If you know what you're taking off, use rb209 to replace. Re-test once pH fixed.

 

[Farmer_Joe]

am i going mad,

it says the worst correction of p is 50kg hectare surely that does not mean 100kg for a 2 hectare field,

im used to units and acres...and im not good at that...

 

[Flat 10]

M

am i going mad,

it says the worst correction of p is 50kg hectare surely that does not mean 100kg for a 2 hectare field,

im used to units and acres...and im not good at that...

Means 50kg/ha P so would require just over 100kg TSP which is 46%P from memory. Or just over 200kg 0.24.24

 

[Farmer_Joe]

whats a economical mix, is 0.24.24 fairly reasonable?

dont mind getting something else and applying if over a few treatments.

im fairly low acres so my requirement would be ideal with a bit of n in then i can drop it pre cutting.

we used to use alot of 20 10 10

 

[tr250]

You’ll have to work out which is most economical when you ring round for quotes but I guess tsp for P and mop for K will be best but it means traveling twice. 0-24-24 will be the easiest. 20-10-10 isn’t really for building it’s only fit putting on crop requirements you will need 500kg/ha to get 50kg of p+k

 

[Macsky]

With your high mg levels I would make sure that you apply calcium lime wherever needed.

 

[Farmer_Joe]

Prob use lime prills which I believe are calcium high,

interestingly the high Mag fields are the ones grazed the least

 

[Cab-over Pete]

If you use prilled be aware it’ll need doing regularly, not just once and forgetting for 5 years.

Have you considered Fibrophos? Depending on the total area it could give a significant saving over bagged products and would include a list of trace elements as long as your arm. How many acres do you need to cover?

 

[teslacoils]

If you use prilled be aware it’ll need doing regularly, not just once and forgetting for 5 years.

Have you considered Fibrophos? Depending on the total area it could give a significant saving over bagged products and would include a list of trace elements as long as your arm. How many acres do you need to cover?

Yes. The saving from using fibrophos, even after spreading, will be good. Even over a small area, get an 8 wheeler or whatever of lime and one of fibrophos, get them spread on. Muck as normal and take it from there.

Fields drained? Dig all the ditches, coppice all the hedges, and mole plough if you have suitable soil types.

 

[Macsky]

Prob use lime prills which I believe are calcium high,

interestingly the high Mag fields are the ones grazed the least

Every field Ive tested here has been high or very high in mag, it’s either the natural geology, or the fact that the nearest lime quarry is dolomite.

I know that calcium ions repel each other (whereas mag ions attract each other) which is supposed to open up the soil and aid water infiltration/drainage (we have very high annual rainfall), but at the same time I do wonder about stock carrying capacity, the open soil may well end up in mud by the end of the spring, whereas the acidic, tight, thatch and moss covered ground looks as good as ever......just takes a major hit on production the rest of the year, which is better?

 

[Farmer_Joe]

If you use prilled be aware it’ll need doing regularly, not just once and forgetting for 5 years.

Have you considered Fibrophos? Depending on the total area it could give a significant saving over bagged products and would include a list of trace elements as long as your arm. How many acres do you need to cover?

Not a lot of are, only small fields at bottom of farm require lime so around 20 ish acres and I only need 15 tonne from the sample as correction!
If I could hire a spreader I may aswell get a 20 tonne load of lime and stick it in my self local guy wants 4 loads min asked a friend last night who used him recently.
What is firbrophos sound worth a look and who supplies it? I imagine it’s also spread through a lime spreader?

Thank for all the input everyone

 

[Macsky]

Not a lot of are, only small fields at bottom of farm require lime so around 20 ish acres and I only need 15 tonne from the sample as correction!
If I could hire a spreader I may aswell get a 20 tonne load of lime and stick it in my self local guy wants 4 loads min asked a friend last night who used him recently.
What is firbrophos sound worth a look and who supplies it? I imagine it’s also spread through a lime spreader?

Thank for all the input everyone

If youve got 20 acres that need amending then you really want 3t/ac spread so 60t, anything less is a waste of everyone’s time IMO, the benefits of lime last for years, if not decades, so don’t be shy I say. A right pH will make every ounce of fert applied in the future a lot more effective.