15/01/2014 Overview Soils of Ireland the Challenge & the - - PDF document

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15/01/2014 Overview Soils of Ireland the Challenge & the - - PDF document

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15/01/2014 Overview Soils of Ireland the Challenge & the Opportunity Irish Soils and their Production Potential Fertiliser usage and soil fertility trends Stan Lalor Mark Plunkett, David Wall Managing soil fertility for high

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15/01/2014 1

Soils of Ireland – the Challenge & the Opportunity

Stan Lalor Mark Plunkett, David Wall Teagasc

Grassland Agro Conference 14 Jan 2014

Overview

  • Irish Soils and their Production Potential
  • Fertiliser usage and soil fertility trends
  • Managing soil fertility for high performance

Stan Lalor

  • Grassland Agro Conference
  • 14 Jan 2014

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Irish Soils & their production potential

Stan Lalor

  • Grassland Agro Conference
  • 14 Jan 2014

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Soils of Ireland

  • General Soils Map, 1980
  • County Bulletins
  • 44% of Country
  • Irish Soils Information System

(ISIS) – 2014

  • http://www.agresearch.teagasc.

ie/johnstown/Soil_maps.asp

Stan Lalor

  • Grassland Agro Conference
  • 14 Jan 2014

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Lee & Diamond (1972) – Land Use Potential for livestock

Land Type m ha % Livestock Production Target (LU/ha) Lowland Mineral 4.39 66%

Dry 2.95 44%

up to 2.90

Wet A 0.70 11%

1.73 – 2.12

Wet B 0.74 11%

1.39 Mountain & Hill 1.47 22% 0.5 Low level peat (blanket & basin) 0.78 12% T

  • tal

6.64

  • Approx. 10 m LU

Stan Lalor

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  • 14 Jan 2014

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“Marginal” 3 m ha (45%)

Mean 2010-2012 = Approx. 4.2 m LU

Challenges

Environmental Sustainability Water GHG Ammonia Biodiversity

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  • Grassland Agro Conference
  • 14 Jan 2014

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Fertiliser Usage and Soil Fertility Trends

Stan Lalor

  • Grassland Agro Conference
  • 14 Jan 2014

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Fertiliser Use and Soil fertility

Phosphorus

10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 % soils low in P P fertiliser use (kt/yr) P Usage % Soils low in P

Potassium

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9 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 % Soils low in K K fertiliser use (kt/yr) K Usage % Soils low in K

Lime usage in Ireland

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  • 14 Jan 2014

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Lime usage 1970 - 2009 500 1000 1500 2000 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 Year Tonnage of Lime ('000 t/yr)

2000-2009 175 kg/ha/yr

Soil pH and Lime

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28% 23% 22% 24% 21% 22% 17% 24% 25% 26% 24% 22% 24% 25% 17% 18% 18% 19% 17% 19% 20% 14% 15% 14% 15% 16% 16% 18% 18% 19% 20% 19% 24% 18% 20% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 >6.5 6.2-6.5 5.9-6.2 5.5-5.9 <5.5

Fertile Soils – Getting all things right !

Grassland - 2013 Tillage - 2013

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Optimum 10% 90% Soil pH > 6.2; Soil P and K Index 3 or 4 Optimum 13% 87% Soil pH > 6.5; Soil P and K Index 3 or 4

Managing soil fertility for high performance

Getting the basics right is more important now than it ever was!

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  • Grassland Agro Conference
  • 14 Jan 2014

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Steps to Soil Fertility Management

Index Description 1 Very Low 2 Low 3 T arget 4 High Stan Lalor

  • Grassland Agro Conference
  • 14 Jan 2014

Soil testing – Why & How ?

  • How ?
  • Sample Area
  • Minimum 20 cores per sample
  • Full 10 cm depth
  • When ?
  • Late Autumn / Early Spring ideal

» Results ready for fertilizer planning for the coming year

Stan Lalor

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Soil Testing – Cost / Benefit

  • ~ 10% of soils are optimised for P, K & lime
  • If no soil test and assume Index 3, then you are

likely to be wrong in 90% of fields !!

  • Cost
  • Consider relative to fertilizer cost?

= € 300-500 / tonne ???

N P K

Fertilizer

Stan Lalor

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Steps to Soil Fertility Management

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Soil pH and Liming

  • Optimum pH for grassland = 6.2 - 6.3

» Maximum nutrient release from soils » Soil biological activity

  • 60% of grassland soil < 6.0
  • Response to fertilizer P on acid soils ????

6.5 4.5 7.0 5.0 7.5 5.5 6.0

P N K

  • Soil P reserve less

available

  • Fertilizers less

available

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Jan 2014

Lime and P availability

Average change in soil test P (Morgan’s) across 16 soils treated with P (100 kg/ha of P), Lime (5 t/ha of lime), and P + Lime and incubated over 12 months in controlled conditions.

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0.8 5.7 8.1 17.7 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 Control Lime P P + Lime Change in Soil test P after 12 months (mg/L)

1. Lime increased the STP 2. Additive benefits

  • f P and lime

Sheil et al, 2013

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15/01/2014 4 Lime in grassland

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1 ha

Up to 250-625 kg/ha/yr of lime in drainage

100 kg = 180-220 kg lime

N fertiliser Offtake 1 bullock 25 kg of Lime 1000 litres milk 3 kg of Lime 5 t/ha silage DM 75 kg of Lime Grassland Example Grassland Example 150 kg/ha N – 300 kg 10,000 litres milk – 30 kg Lime loss in drainage – 250-625 kg Total lime required – 580 – 955 kg/ha/yr

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Steps to Soil Fertility Management

Index Description 1 Very Low 2 Low 3 T arget 4 High Stan Lalor

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  • 14 Jan 2014

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P & K

  • Convert test result into soil Index
  • Target = All soils in Index 3 for P and K !
  • Only ~ 25% at present

Soil Index Description Soil test P (mg L-1) Soil test K (mg L-1) 1 Very low 0 – 3.0 0 – 50 2 Low 3.1 – 5.0 51 – 100 3 Medium 5.1 – 8.0 101 – 150 4 High ≥ 8.1 ≥ 151 Soil Index Description Soil test P (mg L-1) Soil test K (mg L-1) 1 Very low 0 – 3.0 0 – 50 2 Low 3.1 – 5.0 51 – 100 3 Medium 5.1 – 8.0 101 – 150 4 High ≥ 8.1 ≥ 151

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Jan 2014 23

Build up Build up Maintenance Replace

  • fftake

Maintenance Replace

  • fftake

Maintenance Replace

  • fftake

Soil Index & Advice

Soil Index 1 2 3 4 Nutrient

  • fftake

Advice

Target Index 3: Maintain balance Index 4: Draw on soil reserves Index 1 & 2: Requires additional nutrients to build soil reserves

Stan Lalor

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Calculating Offtake

  • http://fertilizer-assoc.ie/fertilizer-calculator/calculator.php

Stan Lalor

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How long does it take to change Index ?

  • P
  • Normally takes a number of years to increase/decrease
  • Lighter soils tend to move faster

» Lower organic matter » Less clay

  • Advice

» Apply fertilizer as per soil test for a number of years » Re-test every 3-5 years to monitor changes over time

  • K
  • Will change more quickly than P
  • Index 1 & 2

» Apply maintenance plus build-up until next soil test

  • Index 4

» Skip application for one year, then revert to maintenance

Stan Lalor

  • Grassland Agro Conference
  • 14 Jan 2014
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Steps to Soil Fertility Management

Stan Lalor

  • Grassland Agro Conference
  • 14 Jan 2014

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Jan 2014

Slurry Value  1000 gallons = ??

50 kg N P K

4 - 0.7 - 5

50 kg N P K

6 - 5 - 38

50 kg N P K

3 - 5 - 38

Soiled Water All Year Cattle Slurry (Splash plate) Spring Summer 50 kg N P K

19 - 7 - 20

Pig Slurry Trailing Shoe + 3 units N / 1000 gallons In spring or summer 50 kg N P K 3 - 2.5 - 12 FYM (1 ton) 5 / 1000 gals 24 / 1000 gals 26 / 1000 gals 28 / 1000 gals 10 / ton

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Contribution to Slurry Value

Cattle Slurry

N 12% P 19% K 69%

  • Majority of the value is in P

and K

  • Aim to get best use of both P

and K in slurry

  • Timing or method

» No effect on P and K » Big effect on N

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Decisions with slurry

1. Where to spread

» P & K requirements » T arget fields with:

  • low soil P and K
  • High requirements (e.g. silage)

2. When to spread

» Maximise N availability » Weather as important as season, but spring generally best » Trailing shoe / band spreader will also increase N value

 

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Steps to Soil Fertility Management

Stan Lalor

  • Grassland Agro Conference
  • 14 Jan 2014

32

Nutrient Balance – What is the Weakest Link ?

  • Nutrient in shortest

supply limits determines yield

  • Especially true with P

and K

  • Fertilizer Planning
  • Soil tests & Cropping
  • Slurry & fertilizers

» Straight K » N-P products » N-K products N P K

Fertilizer

N P

Fertilizer

K

Fertilizer

Stan Lalor Grassland Agro Conference

  • 14

Jan 2014

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Sulphur

  • >30% of Irish soils require S for
  • ptimum yield
  • No soil test
  • Soil texture
  • Light texture (>50% sand)
  • Low organic matter (<3% org C)
  • On responsive soils:
  • Silage  20 kg/ha of S per cut
  • Grazing  20kg/ha per year

Stan Lalor Grassland Agro Conference

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Jan 2014 34

Timing P and K application

P

  • Autumn restricted by nitrates rules (15 Sept)
  • Spring + little and often through the year
  • Index 1 and 2

» Apply build-up in spring

K

  • No nitrates timing restrictions (straight K)
  • Avoid > 90 kg/ha in spring

» Can reduce Mg in grass » Apply build-up in Summer / early Autumn

  • K Fixing soils:

» Build up unlikely » Little and often

Stan Lalor

  • Grassland Agro Conference
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Soil Fertility Management Targets

  • Have soil analysis for whole farm
  • Soil pH between 6 and 6.5 in all fields
  • P and K Index 3 in all fields
  • Index 4 is a resource  Exploit it
  • Index 1 & 2 should be increased to Index 3
  • Optimise slurry first – then top up with fertilizer as required
  • Nutrient inputs in proper balance
  • Fertilizer planning is key

Stan Lalor

  • Grassland Agro Conference
  • 14 Jan 2014

36 Stan Lalor

  • Grassland Agro Conference
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Soils of Ireland – the Challenge & the Opportunity

Stan Lalor Mark Plunkett, David Wall Teagasc

Grassland Agro Conference 14 Jan 2014