Jim McComb, BSc(Agr),P.Ag

Phosphorus Efficiency, Loss Prevention and Making it Pay

• Keep your NMP/NMS soil and manure tests current

• Use all possible alternatives to winter application – massive loss of P last week on recently spread fields

• Work with a P.Ag, CCA, your Ag Retail Partners• Check your storages

Consider CAP funding

Most of all, enjoy social time and your family instead of spreading on snow and frost

The 4 R’s

• 5th R - recycle – Manure, Biosolids, Straw -residue

• Think of the positives cover crop impact on P

https://fertilizercanada.ca/nutrient-stewardship/

Keep in mind when plants take up P!

I have 60% of my P needs!

• 80% of phosphorus in the soil is unavailable to plants and are not soluble

• Some plants like oats have adapted mechanisms to enhance P uptake

From: Journal of Plant and Soil Science June 2015

Effect of pH on plant available P

Manipulating pHNear the root canimprove P efficiency

Banding of nutrients including P

• Side band or in row for corn• In furrow for wheat and small grains• RTK placement or strip till placement spring• Liquid or dry or an efficient combination of

both

Why Broadcast P

• Bulky or hard to handle product like manure, biosolids or compost

• Quick, lower cost, works in wetter conditions• Want to build soil test levels• Don’t have equipment to do bandingBut...Increase chance of runoff, less efficient for

uptake, can not manage fertility zone

Stratification Research

• ATAL Research Initiative– 24 Agri-Coaches involved, AB, SK, MB and ON

– Sampling depths• 0-1”• 1-2”• 2-4”• 4-6”• 6-9”• 9-12”• 12-24”

Mobile & Immobile ‘Nutrients’

• Mobile

– Nitrogen (N)– Sulphur (S)– Chloride (Cl)– Boron (B)

• Immobile

– Phosphorus (P)– Potassium (K)– Copper (Cu)– Zinc (Zn)– Manganese (Mn)– Organic Matter (OM)– pH

What Does Your Crop See?4 depths

Stratification is Seriously REAL!!

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40

Bicarb P (ppm)

9-12"

6-9"

4-6"

2-4"

1-2"

0-1"

Ont.N. ABS. ABMan.

0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400

K (ppm)

9-12"

6-9"

4-6"

2-4"

1-2"

0-1"

Ont.N. ABS. ABMan.

Why Band Phosphorus

• Getting P below top stratification zone• We can combine fertilizers to improve nutrient

uptake• Plant gets roots to it quickly, corn @ spike

already has a 6” root• Reduce soil tie up from pH, Aluminum, Iron• Manipulate the micro conditions of the band

by acidulation

Its like looking in the fridge

Where’s the beer?

Banding P is like puttingThe beer in the door Instead of at the backof the fridge!

Echo Bands

In no-till or strip till, we can see “corn row syndrome”

With RTK, possible to place the band in the same spot year after year

pH of this band may change, nutrients concentrate in this area creating more potential for freely available nutrients

30 min runoff simulator relative loss %

02468

101214161820

MAP 112kg/ha

DAP 127 TSP 127 Rock Phos1945

PoutryLitter 1459

Poly (Liq)

SurfaceBandedColumn1

Douglas R. Smith et al.

Foliar Phos

-Good impact for amount of P, but small enough amount we can not depend on feeding it

-Can be used to pull a crop through a temporary stress

Easy to put on – but for product compatibility and staying on label

Safe Storage and application is key to keeping good neighbours!

Toronto Biosolid Pellets

Take Crap from your Neighbour and Smile!

Watch for New Products – Ask for Data! Timac Agro Top-Phos

Coming technology in Phosphorus management

I don’t care what Twitter says, you are doing a great job!

Next Steps

We need to ask for more research from people like Dr. Merrin Macrae tell your MP and MPP!Surround yourself with good people, with positive ideasAcknowledge that we have learned a lot about

phosphorus loss by standing on the shoulders of giants

Jim McComb Cell(613)922-5466email: jimsedge@gmail.com@FarmersEdgeAC