Soil results

westlander

hello all,
I got my soil results back. I understand the amount of lime that needs to be put out. But as for the P & K values there seems to be an "index" result. I didn't get any index sheet with the results. Could any one shed some light on these results?

Also there is no nitrogen result is there supposed to be?

Thanks
westlander

nilhg

There are 4 levels in the index, 1-very low, 2-low, 3-normal, 4-high, as you can see almost all of yours are in the very low category. All your mg/l values are consistently low, it looks as if the land has had very little basic fertiliser for quite a while?

Soil nitrogen goes up and down so is not normally tested for as the results would be out of date before they come back.

If it's grazing grass you are trying to grow you will be looking at using something like cut swarth on a little and often approach to try and feed your grass while starting to build soil reserves.

cjpm

Ok it's not something that i'm very familiar with but... here goes...


N is not normally tested as it varies each week...

Optimum indices for P & K for intensive grassland are 3.
1 Very Low
2 Low
3 Ok
4 Too high

Notice that you need a LOT of lime in some fields :eek:

westlander

Thanks for the replies lads. Yes the land tested never saw fertilizer. Seeing as its so low, after I put out lime what would you spread on it...10:10:20./18:6:12?

Pig slurry?


Thanks

babybrian

On the Lime, it looks like you need a lot but in our area our results showed we had low levels too but this is a high molibdenum area so advisor said that you can almost halve the amount required so maybe look into that before you go spending huge money on Lime.

I would imagine with the P & K that it is so low that you might almost be going in with straight potash for pottasium but for phosphuros then I am not sure how you would get that in. Alot of the time the merchants are fairly good with advice, well in Liffeys they are anyway. Maybe have a chat with them.

Im going with potash for some of our fields at the end of June early july

cjpm

Slurry would be great if you got it cheap.

Whatever bagged fertiliser you buy, don't lash it on too strong, build it up.

Also lime is better applied little and often as it slowly leeches downwards, although I do realise you need a lot at the start.

NB. You can't spread Urea within 6 months of lime so bear that in mind if you want to use urea next spring, it just means that for Urea on March 1st, the latest for lime is Oct 1st this year.

westlander

Thanks for all replies lads. Thats good info

snowman707

since the land hasn't seen fertilizer before or for some time, I would start by maybe applying about 2 ton of lime per ac ( max 5 ton per H.ac ) and slowly building up P and K (and N when needed) after that

give the soil time to change ,

slurry if available would be ideal

funny man

westlander wrote: »

hello all,
I got my soil results back. I understand the amount of lime that needs to be put out. But as for the P & K values there seems to be an "index" result. I didn't get any index sheet with the results. Could any one shed some light on these results?

Also there is no nitrogen result is there supposed to be?

Thanks
westlander

you really need to talk to an advisor, s/he will put a fertilizer plan together with what and when you apply the fertilizer and lime, with ph of <6 you need to get this sorted before you go in with P&Ks, unless you're on peat soils as the target ph is 5.5 and in high molybdenum areas you reduce the lime requirement by 2 tonnes/acre. you've spent the money on the soil samples now you know the problem, you just need aproper plan and follow it.