|
NE Iowa | For years, we have used some university based numbers for crop removal rate of P&K - this is for a corn-soybean rotation where enough P&K is applied ahead of the corn crop to cover the 2 yr rotation. Up until about 5 yrs ago, we had been soil sampling and adjusting the rates of both down to some comfortable baseline amount with the idea that we would then just apply the crop removal rates every 2 yrs. For the last 5 yrs, we have been having the crop removal rates of both P&K applied via fall striptill without taking any soil samples. We then plant corn directly into those stips.
Several weeks ago, we took a few random samples in the standing beans (thinking more along the lines of seeing if we needed to apply lime) and were very surprised to see P&K rates were quite high. This really doesn't make sense to us, as we have only been applying what the universities say the crops would consume.
Here is my question - is it possible that the striptill practice makes the university crop removal rates wrong? I am sure that the university numbers are probably based on broadcast application with some form of tillage-type incorporation. Does anyone know of any university studies that might have revised crop removal rates for a striptill farming system?
Thanks,
Chris | |
|
P&K + StripTill
