1999 Annual Report for FNC99-274
Evaluating Sustainable Ag Products in Relationship to Cation Exchange Capacity and Base Saturation
Summary
Nitrogen and herbicide ratios are directly related to high magnesium levels in soils, resulting in poor drainage, crusting soils, and high grass pressure.
Objective: To test differing sustainable products and their relation to cation exchange capacities, and 2) to test differing sustainable products and their relation to base saturation.
The producer applied Hi Cal Lime, chicken manure compost fortified with potassium sulfate, rock phosphate, humates and gypsum, to various test plots to compare soil tests, yields, penetrometer readers, refractometer readers, and visual observation of root formation and soil structure after product application.
Crops used on test plots included alfalfa, orchard grass hay, open-pollinated corn and wheat.
Results: Humates tightened soil structure in fifth year alfalfa and orchard grass hay. Both soil and forage tests show increases in phosphate, potash, magnesiumm calcium and trace mineral levels. Cation exchange capacity rose and ponding occurrences decreased. Humates in open-pollinated corn improved soil structure and percolation and increased similar nutrients as in the forage plots.
Hi Cal Lime, combined with humates, seemed to suppress soil biological activity, because the product was applied to the alfalfa and orchard grass hay during the growing season. This mixture also decreased calcium and magnesium, while stabilizing potash and phosphorus levels. After learning from his mistake, the producer expects the lime to be the most successful in future trials.
The chicken manure, combined with rock phosphate and humates, considerably increased phosphate, potassium, and calcium. The application improved cation exchange capacity and wheat yields without supplemental nitrogen applications. The regrowth was weed-free. Cattle prefer alfalfa hay from this plot over any other field.
Gypsum, combined with humates, decreased soil biological activity and only slightly increased calcium and phosphate levels. Cattle prefer alfalfa and orchard grass hay from this plot the least.