Very high PH

[Mrs Brown]

I have a field with a very high PH and has in the past had quite a few heads that never matured into viable grain, was goin to spray with copper sulphate and was just wondering if its advisable to spray the field now before the barley emerges, been sown two days so isn't going to contact the shoots.

 

[Bogweevil]

Why copper sullphaete?

 

[Mrs Brown]

Just what I have on hand at moment, and being in lockdown up here in the wilds thought I use that ,used it before but never after the seed was sown.

 

[Boysground]

How high is high?

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[Brisel]

Most of my farm is around pH 8.2. Not much I can do about it since they are sat on millions of tonnes of chalk.

 

[Boysground]

Just the same as mine. Last thing to worry about is ph.

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[snarling bee]

I have some very high pH clays, and also excessively high calcium, which can lock up amongst other things, Magnesium.
Get a comprehensive soil test done, and tissue tests, before acting on impulse.

 

[Bogweevil]

Why copper sullphaete?

I wonder if you are thinking that the copper sulphate will reduce the pH - it won't I am afraid.

There is no realistic way to reduce the pH quickly for broadacre crops but assuming that the pH is not very high, that the soil is not clay and there is no free calcium carbonate (i.e. not on limestone) then pH can be induced to fall gradually with certain fertilisers notably Ammonium sulphate, and also Ammonium nitrate and urea.

Of course if you have an acid peat bog to hand then acid peat might help...but of course peat extraction is frowned upon nowadays.

 

[Lowland1]

We have PHs' of up to 9 and have been advised to use ridiculous amounts of gypsum however we seem to be able to continue by keeping the soil open with interrow cultivations and incorporation of crop residue etc but that's with intensive veg. I had not heard of using copper sulphate but have seen sulphuric acid sprayed on bare ground before to reduce the PH but I doubt it would work and probably is not a good idea on Barley . Elemental sulphur apparently is a very quick method of reducing PH.

 

[Mrs Brown]

No wasn't thinking it would reduce the PH but might help the low copper availability which cause the barley to not flower correctly plant just goes a pale white and never produces any viable grain. It is a recommended prosses but usually applied on the ploughed land that's why I was asking if it would be wise to try it now. Field is very high lime sand content. We usually spray twice with manganese .

 

[Mrs Brown]

I wonder if you are thinking that the copper sulphate will reduce the pH - it won't I am afraid.

There is no realistic way to reduce the pH quickly for broadacre crops but assuming that the pH is not very high, that the soil is not clay and there is no free calcium carbonate (i.e. not on limestone) then pH can be induced to fall gradually with certain fertilisers notably Ammonium sulphate, and also Ammonium nitrate and urea.

Of course if you have an acid peat bog to hand then acid peat might help...but of course peat extraction is frowned upon nowadays.

As it happens the other side of the farm is acidic peat but would require a fenominal tonnage to be applied per hectare and as you say wouldnt be looked at very kindly.

 

[2wheels]

wife has a shrub in the garden (pieris) which likes acid soil. 2yrs ago it was looking rather sad so brains here got a litre of vinegar and diluted it in 10lts of water and put it down around the root spread area. it cheered up in a couple of months and is looking well now.

 

[Flat 10]

No wasn't thinking it would reduce the PH but might help the low copper availability which cause the barley to not flower correctly plant just goes a pale white and never produces any viable grain. It is a recommended prosses but usually applied on the ploughed land that's why I was asking if it would be wise to try it now. Field is very high lime sand content. We usually spray twice with manganese .
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As you know you need to apply copper as I do on my chalk soils. I don’t know about the safety of your particular form but my hunch is that it’s fine as I believe it’s a component of of Bordeaux mixture which is sprayed on vines. I also think that organic growers use it ? but that may be an apocryphal tale.

 

[Brisel]

As you know you need to apply copper as I do on my chalk soils. I don’t know about the safety of your particular form but my hunch is that it’s fine as I believe it’s a component of of Bordeaux mixture which is sprayed on vines. I also think that organic growers use it ? but that may be an apocryphal tale.

What form of copper do you apply? YaraVita Mancuflo here. A good formulation that's compatible with herbicides as it's a suspension but not a cheap one.

 

[Flat 10]

What form of copper do you apply? YaraVita Mancuflo here. A good formulation that's compatible with herbicides as it's a suspension but not a cheap one.

Using something made by FMC atm

 

[Brisel]

Using something made by FMC atm

That doesn't tell me much! They have a big stable of micronutrient products. https://fmc-agro.co.uk/categories#crop-nutrition

 

[Flat 10]

That doesn't tell me much! They have a big stable of micronutrient products. https://fmc-agro.co.uk/categories#crop-nutrition

Couldn’t remember last night. Headland copper is the name of it

 

[Flat 10]

Never used mancuflo but didn’t like coptrel which I think was a Yara product

 

[Boysground]

Never used mancuflo but didn’t like coptrel which I think was a Yara product

I use mostly Coptrel, what don’t you like about it?

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[Flat 10]

I use mostly Coptrel, what don’t you like about it?

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If I remember correctly it’s a red one? Clogged stuff up if it’s the one I’m thinking of.