Potash Soil Deficiency

[Magik22]

Recent soil analysis is showing K levels at 0 on a lot of the cutting ground. PH around 6.0. The margins around the fields are showing good growth but can see where I’ve cut last year very clearly and the yields don’t look very promising! Is MOP the best long term option? And if so where would you recommend sourcing it? Located in Devon. Thanks

 

[Derrick Hughes]

Cow slurry and MOP . I use KayNitro , but you need a bit more if that low

 

[milkloss]

What about phosphate levels?

 

[neilo]

Recent soil analysis is showing K levels at 0 on a lot of the cutting ground. PH around 6.0. The margins around the fields are showing good growth but can see where I’ve cut last year very clearly and the yields don’t look very promising! Is MOP the best long term option? And if so where would you recommend sourcing it? Located in Devon. Thanks

Slurry/muck is a very good source of Potash, if you have any on-farm. Bringing it in from elsewhere is also a good source of docks though.
Failing that, MOP will replace what you have been taking off, but it won’t be cheap in the quantities needed now it’s been depleted so far. When I moved here I had a lot of fields that were 0 or 1 for K. I am still struggling to get it up much, even on grazing ground.

What is the Phosphate index like? If that’s low too then Fibrophos is better value than MOP, and will supply the Sulphur you need too.

 

[Magik22]

Thanks for the replies.
Fields are split across 2 blocks, one block has phosphate index of 3 in every field, The other is mostly 2 and 1. Slurry and FYm is a problem for us, we don’t have enough to cover all the ground and one block is away from the main yard so doesn’t get any slurry at all, that’s the one with lower phosphates.

I’ve been using Kaynitro for a few years now, I think the K levels are so low it’s not enough keep on top of it.

I’ve now got the dilemma of do I push on for a second cut and take more from the ground, spend the money on more MOP to start working it back up. Or, buy in enough feed to keep us through the winter as well as an application of MOP. Bought in feed isn’t likely to be as cheap as the fert but will it push the soil too far?

 

[Derrick Hughes]

Muraite of potash . But don't over do it at once if you grazing . You got the same problem as Me . Constant cutting drags it down , I can get any amount of slurry but not cheap to haul

 

[Magik22]

Slurry/muck is a very good source of Potash, if you have any on-farm. Bringing it in from elsewhere is also a good source of docks though.
Failing that, MOP will replace what you have been taking off, but it won’t be cheap in the quantities needed now it’s been depleted so far. When I moved here I had a lot of fields that were 0 or 1 for K. I am still struggling to get it up much, even on grazing ground.

What is the Phosphate index like? If that’s low too then Fibrophos is better value than MOP, and will supply the Sulphur you need too.

I have no experience with Fibrophos, isn’t it just burnt chicken litter? I see they do a fairly high potash one, would this be more of a maintenance application? Any idea on price? And I’m assuming it’s a contractor job to spread?

 

[Cab-over Pete]

Price will depend on area. Where are you and I can point you in the direction of the local supplier.

Fibrophos is available in 0-12-12 0-9-18 0-12-18 and 0-5-20.

It’s not “just burnt chicken litter”. It’s highly regulated and assured to be exactly what it says on the ticket.

You could also try Juniper, a new fertiliser that includes a good dollop of sulphur.

 

[neilo]

I have no experience with Fibrophos, isn’t it just burnt chicken litter? I see they do a fairly high potash one, would this be more of a maintenance application? Any idea on price? And I’m assuming it’s a contractor job to spread?

Yes, it’s burnt poultry litter. As with any nutrients, low rates would do for maintenance, but also a (more) cost effective way of building reserves.

It needs spreading with a lime spreader, but the spread price here (which is dearer than many areas) worked out as the same per kilo of P & K as the delivered price of 0:24:24. It also contains useful amounts of Sulphur, Sodium and Mag, as well as a few trace elements. Compound prices have gone up since then.

I paid £145/t recently for 0:12:12 Fibrophos, delivered and spread. Another 12t to be spread on silage and reseeding ground tomorrow.

 

[Renaultman]

What are your magnesium levels? high Mg will inhibit potash.

 

[Magik22]

What are your magnesium levels? high Mg will inhibit potash.

Mg is at 2 in all fields

 

[scholland]

What's the soil type?

 

[Magik22]

What's the soil type?

Sorry I should’ve put this all in the original post.

Peaty soil and very shallow in most places, all on top of a solid mass of granite. Also average over 100” of rain a year…perfect!

 

[neilo]

Price will depend on area. Where are you and I can point you in the direction of the local supplier.

Fibrophos is available in 0-12-12 0-9-18 0-12-18 and 0-5-20.

It’s not “just burnt chicken litter”. It’s highly regulated and assured to be exactly what it says on the ticket.

You could also try Juniper, a new fertiliser that includes a good dollop of sulphur.

What’s Juniper and who makes/sells it? Google just brings up loads of links for fertilising Juniper hedges.

 

[Macsky]

What are your magnesium levels? high Mg will inhibit potash.

I did not know this. Maybe explain why I see obvious green growth response from where animals have urinated despite ok potash levels on testing? (High mg level everywhere)

 

[Cab-over Pete]

What’s Juniper and who makes/sells it? Google just brings up loads of links for fertilising Juniper hedges.

Juniper is a British fertiliser from up north (I want to say polyhalite, but not certain). You can get it from your Fibrophos supplier, it is sold through Hatcher Fertilisers.
There are two grades, a 13% potash (organic approved) and a 25%, both with lots of sulphur and a few other goodies.

I put a load on back in March for an organic farmer and it spread well. It looks similar to Derbyshire lime, a gritty white dust.

I got home and when servicing the machine there was maybe a couple of kilos stuck in nooks and crannies so I sprinkled it on about a 6m square right in front of our kitchen window on a mowing field. I can see it stands out , no bother, so it works there at least!

 

[Renaultman]

Juniper is a British fertiliser from up north (I want to say polyhalite, but not certain). You can get it from your Fibrophos supplier, it is sold through Hatcher Fertilisers.
There are two grades, a 13% potash (organic approved) and a 25%, both with lots of sulphur and a few other goodies.

I put a load on back in March for an organic farmer and it spread well. It looks similar to Derbyshire lime, a gritty white dust.

I got home and when servicing the machine there was maybe a couple of kilos stuck in nooks and crannies so I sprinkled it on about a 6m square right in front of our kitchen window on a mowing field. I can see it stands out , no bother, so it works there at least!

Also known as poysulphate then

 

[neilo]

Polysulphate can be spread with a normal fert spreader and available in 600kg bags. I’ve used it as a source of Sulphur with a bit of Potash, rather than the other way round.
iirc it’s about 14% K and 48% Sulphur?

 

[Derrick Hughes]

Also known as poysulphate then

I though the potash had run out there , they are testing phosphate at our farm

 

[N.Yorks.]

Recent soil analysis is showing K levels at 0 on a lot of the cutting ground. PH around 6.0. The margins around the fields are showing good growth but can see where I’ve cut last year very clearly and the yields don’t look very promising! Is MOP the best long term option? And if so where would you recommend sourcing it? Located in Devon. Thanks

You'll need to put yourself a nutrient management plan together...... as we all have to now because of the Farming Rules for Water and going forward will be linked to the SFI payments I think!

You'll want to build the K index steadily over time, so for the next three/four years apply K (in whatever form) in line with the desired output of the grass. So for example, if you're just grazing - the annual amount of K applied will be less than a field where you're taking two cuts of silage off. The annual amount required to support output also needs an amount extra to support the build up of K in the soil so that you get to index 2-.

You'll not fix it in one season, building indices will take a while, but you don't have to accept reduced yields in the meantime - just have to match output with input and an amount on top for building soil index.