Lime - Fertilizer Interactions

17 January 2002

Crops Update

Woodstock, Ontario

Tom Bruulsema, PhD

Potash & Phosphate Institute

Guelph, Ontario, Canada

Misperception or Reality?

The North American Mosaic: A State of the Environment Report. Commission for Environmental Cooperation – NAFTA, 7 January 2002.

“Although soil erosion is declining in many parts of North America, on balance more soil is still being lost in agricultural areas than is being regenerated naturally. Part of the problem is lack of humus because of a heavy reliance on chemical fertilizers, rather than on traditional fertilizers and soil amendments, such as manure and compost, that help maintain soil structure.”

Outline

Soil test status in North America Soil pH and nutrient availability

Lime x phosphorus Stratification of soil pH in no-till N source influence on pH

Agricultural environmental impact and soil pH Nitrification control Soil carbon storage

Ecological Intensification

Percent of Soils Testing < 6.0 pHPercent of Soils Testing < 6.0 pH

North AmericaNorth America34%

20012001

NDND

SKSKMBMB

ONON

BCBCABAB

WAWA

OROR

MTMT

IDID

SDSD

MNMN

PQPQ

NYNY

PAPA

OHOHININILIL

IAIA

WIWIMIMI

WYWY

UTUT

NVNV

CACA

AZAZ NMNM

NBNB

NSNS

PEIPEI

MEME

NHNH

VTVT

MAMA

CTCTRIRI

NENE

KSKSMOMO

KYKY

WVWVVAVA

MDMD

DEDE

NJNJ

NCNCTNTN

ARAROKOK

TXTX LALA

MSMS ALAL GAGA

SCSC

FLFL

COCO

7171

2020

52524040

1010

252522221717

2626

4646404026263434

7070

2828303031314141

6767

4646

5454

616148484747

2525

2424

4646

2323553434 2727

3535161655 11

00

2020

727211

11 22

66

2424 33

1717

3636

55

4646 64643232

37374949

00

~20~20

Percent of Soils Testing Medium or Lower in PPercent of Soils Testing Medium or Lower in P

20012001

NDND

SKSKMBMB

ONON

BCBCABAB

WAWA

OROR

MTMT

IDID

SDSD

MNMN

PQPQ

NYNY

PAPAOHOHININILIL

IAIA

WIWIMIMI

WYWY

UTUT

NVNV

CACA

AZAZ NMNM

NBNB

NSNS

PEIPEI

MEME

NHNH

VTVT

MAMA

CTCTRIRI

NENE

KSKSMOMO

KYKY

WVWVVAVA

MDMDDEDE

NJNJ

NCNCTNTN

ARAROKOK

TXTX LALA

MSMS ALAL GAGA

SCSC

FLFL

COCO

3737

7070

45457373

383824243636

181822223434

5353

3131

4545424247476060

46466161

5151

797960605858

3737

5959

6868

60605959 3939

696947475858 5959

4141 52527878 7878

6969

5959 8686

4747 2121

6262

4040

5858

4646

5050 26262828

North AmericaNorth America47%

25251616

1515

5757

2525~40~40

ONON

Percent of Soils Testing Medium or Lower in KPercent of Soils Testing Medium or Lower in K

20012001

NDND

SKSKMBMB

ONON

BCBCABAB

WAWA

OROR

MTMT

IDID

SDSD

MNMN

PQPQ

NYNY

PAPA

OHOHININILIL

IAIA

WIWIMIMI

WYWY

UTUT

NVNV

CACA

AZAZ NMNM

NBNB

NSNS

PEIPEI

MEME

NHNH

VTVT

MAMA

CTCTRIRI

NENE

KSKSMOMO

KYKY

WVWVVAVA

MDMDDEDE

NJNJ

NCNCTNTN

ARAROKOK

TXTX LALA

MSMS ALAL GAGA

SCSC

FLFL

COCO

6666

7575

56569090~30~30

1919

353568684141

3737

515169698080

5454

2929

7171626255555151

51516060

7272

444438385757

6868

3939

5252

1212

66 3030

5252444433 2727

3434 242477 44

55

3333 1515

2222

2626

1919

1818

1010

4747 45454444

North AmericaNorth America43%

55554747

1212

1111

Nutrient interactions

14 essential mineral elements N, P, K, Ca, Mg, S, B, Cl, Cu, Fe, Mn, Mo, Zn, Ni Testing 2 levels of each gives 214 combinations = 16,384 treatments

Soil pH Form of nutrient (NH4

+, NO3-, etc.)

Soil mineralogy Crop Weather

Foth & Ellis, 1997, p. 83

Mineral soils Organic soils

Soil Reactions with Added P

Soil pH

CalciumCalciumphosphatesphosphates

Di s

tri b

uti

on (

%)

Fixation by hydrous Fixation by hydrous oxides of Al and Feoxides of Al and Fe

Adso

rbed

to c

lay

Adso

rbed

to c

lay

Fixation Fixation by by Fe, Al & Fe, Al & MnMn

Available phosphatesAvailable phosphates

Brady, 1990

Sumner & Farina, 1986

Both lime and P resolve Al problems in wheat (Kansas)

Wheat variety

Lime Rate (lb/A)

Yield without P2O5

Yield with 40 lb/A banded

P2O5

Yield Response

to PSoil pH

Exchangeable Al (ppm)

Al-sensitive 0 38 54 16 4.7 503750 51 57 6 5.3 07500 49 55 6 5.8 0

Al-tolerant 0 49 56 73750 58 60 27500 58 61 3

Lamond & Whitney, Better Crops,

1995

Bray P1 soil test = 54 ppm (H)

P sources and solution pH

Symbol Compound FormulapH

TSP monocalcium Ca(H2PO4)2•H2O1.5

phosphate

MAP monoammonium NH4H2PO4

3.5phosphate

DAP diammonium (NH4)2HPO4

8.0phosphate

Lime and P Source for Potatoes in PEIShepody & Russet Burbank, mean of 3 years

0

40

80

120

160

200

240

Lime No Lime

Ma

rke

tab

le Y

ield

, cw

t/A

,

noneMAPDAP

P Source

Sanderson, 1998-2000, AAFCSoil test P: H+

Lime Application in No-till Soil

Beegle, 1996. Better Crops 80(1):16-17

Wheat and corn response to liming

Beegle, 1996Better Crops80(1):16-17

Melbourne

4.4

4.7

5.0

5.3

5.6

06-May-98 17-Sep-98 29-Jan-99 12-Jun-99 24-Oct-99

Soi

l pH

lime

pelletized

no lime

Ontario Lime-Fertilizer Trial – Sandy Loam Site

Soil pH in top 3”; mean of disked and no-till treatments

Ontario Lime-Fertilizer Trial – Clay SiteWoodslee

4.7

5.0

5.3

5.6

29-Oct-97 27-Apr-98 24-Oct-98 22-Apr-99 19-Oct-99

Soi

l pH

lime

pelletized

no lime

Soil pH in top 3”; mean of disked and no-till treatments

Melbourne 1998

0

10

20

30

40

50

none lime p-lime

So

ybea

n Y

ield

(b

u/A

)

none

starter

micro

- Sandy loam

(pelletized)

Young & Gaynor, Ontario, Canada

Woodslee 1998

0

10

20

30

40

50

none lime p-lime

So

ybea

n Y

ield

(b

u/A

)

none

starter

micro

- Clay

(pelletized)

Young & Gaynor, Ontario, Canada

Woodslee 1999

0

30

60

90

120

150

none lime p-lime

Co

rn Y

ield

(b

u/A

)

none

starter

micro

- Clay

(pelletized)

Young & Gaynor, Ontario, Canada

Acidity of N Fertilizers

Pounds calcium carbonate per pound of N: AN, AA, UAN, urea 1.8 Ammonium sulfate 5.4 (3.6?) MAP 5.4 DAP 3.6

AOAC, 1934Nitrate sources of N do not acidify(Calcium nitrate, potassium nitrate)

Plant nutrient uptake influences rhizosphere pH

NO3-

OH-, HCO3-

H+

NH4+

Enhancing ammonium nutrition can lower rhizosphere pH, for

greater availability of:P, Fe, Mn, Zn

Marschener, 1995, p. 542

N and Lime on Turfgrass - NJ

Heckman, 1998

0

4

8

12

16

0 100 400 0 100 400 control

Lime Rate (lb/A)

Soil pH

Patch Severity

Turf Quality

Calcium Nitrate Ammonium Sulfate

Nitrification and pH

Low pH limits nitrification in forest soils Can nitrate leaching be limited by

controlling soil pH? Nitrification rate @ pH 5.5 40% less than at pH 7.0

(Weier & Gilliam, 1986 [NC])

Chloride inhibits nitrification at low pH in Sri Lanka tea soils (pH 4.0) adding 200 lb/A of 0-0-60 cut

nitrate accumulation by 90% (Golden & others, 1981)

Dancer & others, 1973 Wisconsin

Soil pH and nitrification rates

Gilmour, 1984 Arkansas

Nitrification Pattern

Soil pH Rangerapid, nitrite rapid slow none

<4.5 0 0 0 14.5-4.9 0 1 3 105.0-5.4 0 4 9 95.5-5.9 0 11 6 46.0-6.4 0 11 2 06.5-6.9 0 19 0 07.0-7.3 0 10 0 0

<7.3 16 0 0 0Morrill & Dawson, 1967, Cornell University

Number of New York soils from a collection of 116 exhibiting specific nitrification patterns

Potential benefits of liming less

Reduce nitrate leaching & denitrification Groundwater protection, GOM hypoxia

Availability of B, metal micronutrients alfalfa (Su, 1988)

Reduce ammonia volatilization Allows more uses of urea and DAP

Avoid CO2 emission arising from lime

Potential benefits of liming less (2)

Increase carbon sequestration

Nitrogen N Rate Change in Soil C (% of Control)Source lb/A Limed Unlimednitrate 85 100 97

ammonium 85 101 138ammonium 130 105 153

Change in soil organic carbon content after 120 years, relative to an unfertilized control (Paustian, 1997)

Rothamsted, UK lack of humus ???

Ecological Intensification of Agriculture

“The intensification of production systems to satisfy the anticipated increase in food

demand while meeting acceptable standards of environmental quality”

Dr. Ken CassmanUniversity Of Nebraska

Record Crop Yields in North America

Crop Yield Location

Alfalfa 24.1 tons/A Arizona

Barley 190 bu/A Alberta

Canola 70 bu/A Alberta

Corn 408 bu/A Iowa

Soybean 118 bu/A New Jersey

Wheat,winter 205 bu/A British Columbia

Does Unrealized Yield Potential Exist?

Average vs. Attainable Corn Yields in Iowa Contest

Winners4.1 bu/A/yr

State Average1.5 bu/A/yr

Gap Growth = 2.6 bu/A/yr

Summary

Lime-fertilizer interactions are important to both productivity and environmental impact

Professional crop advisers and producers should continue to test new combinations of pH and fertility

Each of us needs to be able to explain to the consumer why we use fertilizers and how they contribute to nourishing food

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