Show uLi Stresses Fertilizer Need Soil fertility is the cornerstone on which profitable agriculture is built bunt It depends largely on the thc wise use lIse of or fertilizers nl am are used to supplement the plan nutrients in the soil move moved by cropping They are not however howe a substitute for other oilier sound farming practices There is no reliable evidence c to lo indicate that proper use of chemical fertilizers present a hazard to man or animal Many factors in addition to plant nutrients affect the growth of crops These include varieties varieties varie varie- ties of crops grown irrigation weed and insect control crop and timeliness f oper oper- Proper timing oft ort e c n makes the difference between success and fa failure Farmers derive maximum benefits from fertilizers when they follow good goodsoil goodsoil goodsoil soil management practices Plants need 16 nutrients for normal growth carbon hydrogen hydrogen hydro hydro- gen and oxygen arc are supplied by bj the air and make up 95 per percent percent percent cent of the dry weight of plants The remaining 13 elements come from the soil potassium calcium magnesium sulphur boron chlorine copper and molybdenum occur in sufficient amounts in most Utah soils and andin andin andin in many irrigation waters to satisfy crop needs Nitrogen phosphorus iron manganese and zinc are deficient in many I soils or 01 when present exist Informs in informs informs forms not available to plants The most effective use of fertilizer fer fel I I can be made if the entire cropping system s 's s taken into I consideration and the fertilizer is applied to the crops with the highest needs Apply phosphate fertilizer only once or twice during a a. a rotation The effects will carry carryover carryover carryover over for several years Phosphate Phosphate Phosphate phate can be applied when the theland theland theland land is being prepared for alfalfa alfalfa al al- al falfa or pasture and again when sugar beets are arc grown Fertilizer Fertilizer lizer is most frequently applied in one of three ways ways- 1 Broadcasting Broadcasting Broad Broad- casting uniform uniformly over the soil surface 2 or drilled drilled drilled led in bands 3 3 Applied in irrigation Irrigation irrigation gation water BROADCASTING Bro a n d d d- cast casting ng is probably the most widely used procedure for several several several sev sev- eral reasons Large amounts of fertilizer can cnn be applied without without without with with- out injuring the crop The fertilizer fertilizer fertilizer fer fer- can be he applied in the fall or early spring during slack labor periods Costs of broadcasting equipment a arc r c comparatively low Fertilizer broadcast on the surface can often be plowed under BANDING There arc certain advantages to banding fertilizer This method can give best re- re I suits from small amount of fer fer- The fertilizer can be placed in the root zone where it il t will give maximum benefits from rom minimum material The banding landing is is' is a a convenient and effective effective ef ef- way to apply fert fertilizer lizer to o row crops during cultivation Do o not band fertilizer in contact with seed FERTILIZER APPLIED IN water vater is distributed uniformly over the land without waste fertilizer can be applied in the water vater conveniently and with lit ht- tie tle le labor Liquid fertilizers arc are arche the he J most Brost readily applied in water vater This method has little or orno orno orno no advantage in terms of crop yields ields It makes little difference how the fertilizer- fertilizer low you ou apply 1 if you jOU maintain a high level of fertil fertility ty and 2 if you fertilize the he rotation rather than the individual in individual in in- crops I Iso Soil and arm practices var vary so much from farm to farm that no general fertilizer recommendation recommendation rec rec- will be right fight for all farms The suggestion given for the use of nitrogen and phosphates are for average farm conditions Special conditions conditions condi condi- ma may be prevalent where the suggested rates are arc too high or too low For example if infertile infertile infertile in in- fertile subsoil is exposed while leveling land manure nitrogen and phosphate may need to be applied at heavy rates to obtain lin in reasonable yields The amount of application will also depend on personal preference Some Sorge growers prefer to use the minimum mini milli- mum amount which will give iy e maximum returns per unit appl ap ap- pl plied ed Others prefer the maximum maximum maxi maxi- mum amount o of fertilizer lo to assure top yields when weather and other factors are favora favorable le e. e |