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Show Millard County Chronicle Thursday, March 23, 1967 Know Have Your Soil-It Soil-It Tested by James P. Thorpe Associate Proifessor of Soils Utah Sate University, Logcn Those who have been taking advantage ad-vantage of the soil testing services as Utah State University will be interested to know that available potassium is now being measured in the standard soil fertility analysis. analy-sis. This test includes: pH determination, deter-mination, which is a measure of soil reaction or acidity or alkalinity; alkalin-ity; total soluble salts, which is a measurement of soil salinity; aval-able aval-able phosphorus; estimation of lime content (CaC03); and textural class rating, i. e., sandy loam, silty clay loam, clay loam, clay, etc. The service also provides appropriate appro-priate recommendations on fertilizer fertili-zer use management and use of soil amendments such as gypsum. In recent years, we have seen a considerable increase not only in the amount of fertilizer used, but in the numbers of people using fertilizer. Yet, many have had a hard time deciding which fertilizer to use and how much to use. A soil analysis can help materially materi-ally in avoiding the addition of fertilizer fer-tilizer where not neded and supply ing it where it is needed. Maintaining Maintain-ing the proper balance among the plant nutrients is very important in obtaining optimum growth and crop quality. Soil testing has long been considered consid-ered a reasonable approach to evaluation eval-uation of plant nutrient levels in the soil and today affords the best answer to our question of which fertilizer to use and how much. Soil testing is the scientific approach and the results can be timely. That is, they can be obtained prior to the need for fertilization." Simply following a rule of thumb or general recommendations made by colleges or commercial enterprises enter-prises for addition of fertilizer has resulted in the imbalance of some of the nutrients. For example, phosphorus tends to accumulate in the soil and remains to a large extent ex-tent in an available form for a period of years. There are exceptions excep-tions to this generalization, of cour so, but in many instances where phosphorus fertilizer has been applied app-lied to a field for sugar beets or alfalfa year after year, or rotation after rotation, substantial amounts of soluble phosphorus have been accumulated. There is some evidence evi-dence that excessive amounts of soluble phosphorus actually result in a reduction of yield. At least it has been proven time after time that additions of phosphate above a certain soil level are of no benefit bene-fit in terms of increased yield or crop quality. It can be worth considerable In terms of dollars and cents to a farmer far-mer to know the level of available phosphorus In his soil. Determination Determina-tion of available phosphorus In the soil is perhaps our most reliable of the soil tests. This test may be warranted every three or four years. Most of the soils in Utah are well supplied with available potassium, but a few are not. Therefore, event ually we are going to run short of potassium on soils that had relatively rela-tively low or only meager supplies of this nutrient in the beginning. Crop plants do remove these mineral min-eral nutrients from the soil. If the natural supply is not abundant, It is necessary to add the nutrients as fertilizer sometime in order to maintain good crop production. Therefore, a test for potassium may be valuable to a farmer as a reassurance re-assurance of an adequate supply of this nutrient. If an abundant supply is found, then certainly no additional tests for this element would need to be made for several years Nitrogen is the most commonly needed fertilizer element in Utah soils. Yet, due to the nature of nitrogen ni-trogen compounds and their behavior be-havior in the soil, we have found it impossible to date to devise a tset that will give us reliable estimates es-timates of the nitrogen-supplying power of a soil. .Here we must rely on other information such as cropping crop-ping history and yields, previous applications of fertilizer and field Second Ward Hews EDDYS BARBEN Mr. and Mrs. Kent Miller of Brig-ham Brig-ham City spent the weekend in Delta with their parents, Mr. and Mrs. Edwin Miller. Mr. and Mrs. Wally Wright of Logan spent some time in Delta this weekend with Mr. and Mrs. Walter Wright. Mr. Robert Callister, student at CSU, Cedar, spent the spring vacation vaca-tion in Delta with his parents, and family, Mr. and Mrs. Rulon Callister Janet and AnnMarie. Mr. and Mrs. Anthony Adams of Salt Lake spent the weekend in Delta with Mrs. Verdella Adams and daughters, Carol, Gloria, and Joan and celebrated Verdella's birth day while they were here. Mr. and Mrs. Norman Gardner, Elaine and Donald Robison and Mrs. Joan Ball Beck went to the basketball tournament Wednesday and returned home Sunday. They visited and had a fine trip. Mrs. Albert Kimber spent the week In March in Whittier, Calif., visiting with her mother, Mrs. Clarissa Clar-issa Keith and with an aunt and uncle, Mr. and Mrs. Ivan W Bach-eller. Bach-eller. This past week, Mr. Kimbers sister, Mrs. Phebe Orr of Homedale, Idaho visited with Mr. and Mrs. Kimber. test plot results as a basis for es timating nitrogen need. With every report for fertilizer recommendations recommenda-tions based on soil tests, the Soils Laboratory at the University also makes recommendations for the use of nitrogen. We believe such recommendations on use of nitrogen nitro-gen are also useful to farmers. Utah State University necessarily has for some time charged a fee for the soil testing service. However, How-ever, the cost of a soil analysis Is still appreciably less than the cost of a "bag of fertilizer. Your County Agent can supply Information on soil sampling methods and fee discounts dis-counts on groups of samples. Utah Corn Yields Why Hot High Utah should rank at the top in producing high yields of corn for grain or silage. We have efficient farmers, good soil, adequate irrigation irri-gation water, and an excellent climate. cli-mate. Sadly, however, average yields in Utah are far below other states which have not been blessed with such favorable growing conditions. condi-tions. During the last five years, Utah has produced an average of sixty-two bushels of grain per cornacre, and 15.25 tons of silage per acre all under irrigation. Calif ornia, on the other hand, produced an average of 92 bushels of grain per cornacre and 19tons of silage per acre. Indiana, a non-irrigated state, had a 92 bushel average last year, and ranked first in the nation. High Yields Are Possible Eight California farmers topped 200 bushels of corn per acre during 1966. A Colorado grower harvested 217 bushels per acre last year. Clyde Hight of Moweagua, Illinois hit the jackpot. He produced over 200 bushels of corn on 388 acres recently. One 100-acre field averaged aver-aged 211 bushels per acre, and Hight was at the mercy of the weatherman since his land isn't irrigated. Several other states have had farmers produce over 200 bushels bush-els per acre. Set High Yield Goals For Yourself The first step toward a king-sized yield is to set high yield goals on your farm. Write down what you should be producing field by field. Then develop a plan to reach the goal you have set. Goals of 150 bushels of grain corn and 30 tons of silage are not unreasonable for Utah farmers to shoot at. Remember Remem-ber if you produce silage, your yield and quality follow along with grain corn yields. tOOK IN YOUH ATTIC OH THE BASEMENT YOU MIGHT HAVE SOMETHING THAT IS WORTHLESS WORTH-LESS TO YOU, BUT SOMEONE ELSE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE. A 50c CLASSIFIED MAY KILL 2 BIRDS WITH ONE STONE . . . , County Agent Says Soil Testing Is Practical Tool It's good business to anticipate the fertilizer needs of your crops before deficiency symptoms can be sppii on thp nroD itself, according to County Agent Jay Hall. Waiting for a deficiency to develop is u poor practice, for by then crop losses loss-es already have taken place. In present day farming, the real problem is to know how well a particular fertilizer is meeting the needs of a crop. Mr. Hall pointed out that once a farmer has embarked on a fertilizer fertili-zer program, its value in meeting the needs of the crop from year to year can be estimated by soil tests. Soil testing is a practical tool that tells you what you want to know about you soil before the trouble appears and before it's too late to correct it. By following a regular program of soil testing, you can avoid loss in yield and low profits resulting from hidden hunger of your crops. Soil testing is the modern way to determine your fertilizer needs. Two Methods to Increase Value of Barnyard Manure Two methods increase the value of barnyard manure. Hauling it reg ularly to the field saves nutrients. The soil gains what the manure loses. The second thing is to protect pro-tect piled manure with a shelter, it will pay to build a shelter. Shed it will pay to build a shelder. Shed protection can increase the value of a ton of manure by as much as $1.60. The reason for proper care and handling is to save all the liguid possible and reduce rotting to a minimum until the manure is mixed into the soil. In feeding pens, good bedding such as straw, old hay, wood shav ings or corn cobs hold the liquids" Their power to hold water differs' Usually, the finer the material the greater the capacity, and the less you need for bedding. It takes about nine pounds for steers two pounds for hogs, and one pound for sheep. Reduction in crop yield reported by some farmers after tHey use bulky manure is only temporary It can be offset by adding fifteen to twenty pounds of nitrogen per acre. The ultimate result is a bene-fit bene-fit not only in total nitrogen and phosphorus, but is a generous addi tion to the organic matter and structure of your soil. A ton of fresh manure starts out with about twenty-five pounds of plant food. That value, your agent says, is certainly worth saving. POSTER PAPER Poster paper at the Chronicle, in white and a wide variety of colors, now sells for 15c a sheet straight and 20c a sheet for lemon yellow. ipeclflc foots help H in Uurt will crease Uvm praf it More $... if you grow corn silage More $.. if you use bulk fertilizer Did you know that with corn silage you can grow more dry matter and total digestible nutrients than either 6 tons of leafy alfalfa hay or 10 tons of alfalfa haylage? You can get up to 35 tons of corn silage per acre if proper amounts of fertilizer are used and proper management methods followed. Shouldn't you try corn silage this year? More $.. from dryland wheat What are the farmer's three most valuable items in the spring? Of course, time, labor and money. You save all three when you apply bulk fertilizer. Bulk application is convenient, rapid, economical and it takes part of the spring work load from the farmer. Many farmers questioned the results of the research until they used fertilizer themselves on dryland wheat. Yields jumped. So did profits. Farmers report a yield increase of 5 to 10 bushels of dryland wheat per acre on good stands when proper fertilization and good management practices were adopted. With good moisture conditions predicted, this is the year to use enough fertilizer. More $. if you fertilize alfalfa More $... if you feriiiiz EARLY More $... by increasing protein Research tells the story: Yields in this area increased to 8 tons per acre when alfalfa was fertilized with 120 to 160 lbs. of P,05 per acre. Same amounts of fertilizer increased alfalfa yields to 9 tons pc acre. Delay in applying your fertilizer can be costly! Bad weather late in the spring may prevent you from getting enough of that profit-building fertilizer applied. Agronomically, early fertilization is best -enables natural moisture to move the fertilizer down into the root zone. Fertilizer applied late often moves, under furrow irrigation, to the tops of the furrows and then isn't as available as it should be for maximum yields. Apply fertilizer early it's easier on you, better for your crops (and profits). t Wheat in this atea usually contains from 10 to 11 per cent protein, and the grower is penalized from 2$ to 20: per bushel for this low protein. However, with 15 protein, the grower could teceive a bonus of up to 30; a bushel. Thus, on a 20 bu. per acre yield, the grower can realize up to a $10 acre extra income with the higher protein. You can increase protein content (as well as your yield) by using enough nitrogen on dryland wheel. More $...if you don't neglect pasture Most growers neglect their pasture and lose money as a result. Here's what can happen to yields and profits with proper fertilization. Apply nitrogen - "ncrease yields More $.. from sugar beets 3D . 33 -mi i . . : o t 31 .: UJ a 29 i M'lfnr . a. 27 . S) 23 i; is L $30 J250 PROFIT pf R CRE More if you use (UsS) Fertilizers TRADEMARK GRASSES Applied Nitrogen, lbsacre k (Dry weight forage s tonage, tonsacre) 0 80 160 240 ft Common Meadow Foxtail 0.5 1.9 2.7 3.3 Garrison Creeping Foxtail 0.4 2.2 3.8 5 1 f Russian Wildrye C.2 1.2 1.9 2.4 Reedcanary 0.6 2.5 4.1 4.8 f Intermediate Wheatgrass 0.8 2.8 4.0 4.9 ft Manchar Brome 0 6 2.8 4.1 5.1 fe Tall Wheat 0.7 2.3 2 0 3.1 k Orchard 0.3 1.4 2.6 2.6 Tall Fescue 0.4 l.S 2.8 2.6 Timothy 0.3 2.1 3.3 3.4 V Creeping Foxtail P ill 0.5 2.2 3.2 3.2 & Based on a two year study of il.e first cuf.'.ij of forage. U If you grow sugar beets it's going to cost you at least $165 per acre in fixed costs even if you only grow 15 tons per acre. With proper fertilization and proper management, yields can be increased dramatically and costs gc up only a little (to cover cost of fertilizer and harvesting costs). An increase from 17 tons of beets per acre to 25 tons can make extra profit of $125 per acre. 1. 3ased on a gross return of $15 per ton for beets. 2. "Includes higher costs for fertilizer and harvesting. V-m USS Fertilizers made by United Stater ei, ar finest quality products available. Made :i th? West for We-tcn rmers. USS Fertilizers are ?"!d bv reliable dealers- deale--who can provide soil fertility planning assist ance, backed by United States Steel research and agronomists. I Tffl a n l SHOP AT HOME SHOP WITH THE ADVERTISERS |