Show soybeans no menace to soil improvement rotation and proper fertilization solution on SOYBEANS were defended against the charge of being a denaci to soil improvement by a group grou p 0 purdue university agronomists no other crop has had such s spectacular career in america a the soybean which in little more mor than a decade has been catap catapult it e ec into fourth place in value ai amon ong crops grown for grain or seed in this thi country no other crop in history has been so feared by farmers a as a potential destroyer of fertility reviewing the results of an eight year test these experts drew the following conclusions soybeans are no more soil declet ing in in minerals than are corn alfalfa or some other crops on an equiha lent yield basis pointing out that all crops aher grown and removed from the lane land deplete the soil minerals the agronomists recommend that extra amounts of phosphorus and potash fertilizers be used in any aror rotation that includes soybeans in order to replenish the plant food re moved when beans bean s and other grair grain are sold as a cash crop concerning the danger of soil erosion when soybeans are grown they declared the problem of erosion witt with soybeans is much the same a as with corn on rolling land soybeans should be planted on the contour preferably drilled solid and should W V f 2 git b oil N P P w inoculation also pays be followed by a winter grain or cover crop on acid soils limestone or mar marl is the prime need of soybeans without lime on such soils fertilizers have little effect these soils after liming usually gave marked aked response to phosphorus and potash fertilizer when plowed under tor for beans considering the total of nitrogen phosphorus and potash removed in the grain soybeans are less soil depleting than corn the agronomists reported in any soil improvement program they added deep rooted legumes clovers and al falfas should always be grown where soybeans are included in the rotation extra am amounts 0 ants of fertilizer contain containing ing phosphorus and potash should be used in the crop rotation to replenish the plant food removed when beans and other grain are sold as cash crops |