OCR Text |
Show Soybeans No Menace 'To Soil Improvement Rotation and Proper Fertilization Solution COYBEANS were defended against the charge of being "a menace to soil improvement" by a group of Purdue university agronomists. No other crop has had such a spectacular career in America as the soybean, which in little more than a decade has been catapulted into fourth place in value among crops grown for grain or seed in this country. No other crop in history has been so feared by farmers as a potential destroyer of fertility. Reviewing the results of an eight-year eight-year test, these experts drew the following conclusions: "Soybeans are no more soil-depleting in minerals than are corn, alfalfa or some other crops on an equivalent equiva-lent yield basis." Pointing out that all crops when grown and removed from the land deplete the soil minerals, the agronomists recommend that extra amounts of phosphorus and potash fertilizers be used in any crop rotation that includes soybeans in order or-der to replenish the plant food removed re-moved when beans and other grain are sold as a cash crop. Concerning the danger of soil erosion when soybeans are grown, they declared: "The problem of erosion with soybeans is much the same as with corn. On rolling land, soybeans should be planted on the contour, preferably drilled solid and should Inoculation also pays. be followed by a winter grain or cover crop. "On acid soils, limestone or marl is the prime need of soybeans. Without With-out Ume on such soils, fertilizers have little effect. These soils after liming usually gave marked response re-sponse to phosphorus and potash fertilizer fer-tilizer when plowed under for beans." Considering the total of nitrogen, phosphorus and potash removed in the grain, soybeans are less soil depleting de-pleting than corn, the agronomists reported. "In any soil improvement program," pro-gram," they added, "deep-rooted legumes, clovers and alfalfas should always be grown where soybeans are included in the rotation. Extra amounts of fertilizer containing phosphorus and potash should be used in the crop rotation to replenish replen-ish the plant food removed when beans and other grain are sold as cash crops." |