THE AGRONOMIC EFFECTIVENESS OF REACTIVE PHOSPHATE ROCKS 3 - A COMPARISON OF APPLICATION STRATEGIES FOR SOLUBLE PHOSPHORUS AND REACTIVE PHOSPHATE ROCK FERTILIZERS
Dl. Garden et al., THE AGRONOMIC EFFECTIVENESS OF REACTIVE PHOSPHATE ROCKS 3 - A COMPARISON OF APPLICATION STRATEGIES FOR SOLUBLE PHOSPHORUS AND REACTIVE PHOSPHATE ROCK FERTILIZERS, Australian journal of experimental agriculture, 37(8), 1997, pp. 947-956
An investigation into the effectiveness of large (up to 80 kg P/ha), s
ingle dressings (capital applications) of different phosphorus (P) fer
tilisers, compared with smaller annual applications, was undertaken in
the National Reactive Phosphate Rock Project. Yield comparisons were
made at 23 permanent pasture sites across Australia using triple super
phosphate, the highly reactive North Carolina phosphate rock and a par
tially acidulated form of North Carolina rock. Over 4 years, 19 of 23
sites showed no significant reduction in mean annual pasture yield wit
h a single, large dressing applied in year 1 only, compared with an eq
uivalent amount of total P applied in 4 annual applications. At a site
in North Queensland, where the initial soil P level was very low, the
large year-1 application of each fertiliser resulted in increased pas
ture production over that obtained from smaller annual applications be
cause of increased pasture production in the early years. This amounte
d to an annual increase of between 1500 and 3000 kg dry matter/ha for
the capital application strategy. The effectiveness of capital applica
tions depended on soil, pasture and climatic conditions, and on the ty
pe of P fertiliser. Soil and environmental factors which appear to be
important in determining the effect of capital applications are whethe
r soils allow leaching of P (a function of rainfall and texture), whet
her they are P-sorbing (a function of clay content and soil mineralogy
), the soil P content and how quickly it is being utilised by the past
ure. Capital applications can be considered where P is not leached fro
m the soil profile or where P sorption is low, and are most effective
where soil P is low and there is a responsive pasture species present.
Capital applications of water-soluble P fertiliser should not be cons
idered on free-draining, low P-absorbing soils. Average annual pasture
dry matter losses of about 2000 kg/ha occurred with a capital applica
tion of triple superphosphate compared with annual applications, at on
e such site in Tasmania. North Carolina phosphate rock was found to be
the most effective P fertiliser for large capital applications, espec
ially on free-draining, low P-absorbing soils.