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Objectives

Objectives. To understand the importance of fertilizers and pH To distinguish fertilizer types To calculate fertilizer rates for their home gardens Apply fertility concepts to a vegetable experiment. Soil Fertility and Fertilizers. What is a fertilizer?

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Objectives

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  1. Objectives • To understand the importance of fertilizers and pH • To distinguish fertilizer types • To calculate fertilizer rates for their home gardens • Apply fertility concepts to a vegetable experiment

  2. Soil Fertility and Fertilizers • What is a fertilizer? • Definition - a material added to the garden that supplies essential nutrients plants need for vegetative and reproductive growth. • Why are fertilizers important? • Build-up - increasing the level of minerals and OM in the soil. • Maintenance - replenishing nutrients lost through leaching, removal during plant growth, and harvest

  3. Macronutrients • Nitrogen (N) • Most mobile nutrient; subject to loss by leaching • Used to form proteins and pigments (chlorophyll) • Phosphorus (P) • Immobile nutrient; must be incorporated into soil • Important for energy transfer (ATP) in plants • Potassium (K) • Immobile nutrient; must be incorporated also • Important for cell wall formation and cell liquid balance

  4. Fertilizers and pH • Optimum soil pH is plant species dependent • Most plants will grow well at pH 6.2-6.8 • IL soils slightly acidic - 5.8-6.8

  5. Fertilizers and pH • pH influences nutrient availability • Determines nutrient form in soil • How strongly nutrients are bound to soil particles • Nutrients deficient in acid soils • Ca, P, Mg, Mo • Nutrients deficient in alkaline soils • Cu, Fe, Mn

  6. Nutrient availability by pH

  7. Adjusting pH • Lime replaces H+ ions with Ca2+ ions • Amount applied depends on soil type and pH change desired

  8. Types of Fertilizers • By form • Synthetic - Miracle Grow®, Osmocote® • Organic - manure, fish meal, bone meal • By physical state • Solid - manure, compost, granulated • Liquid - seaweed extract, anhydrous • By rate of release • Fast release - mostly synthetic types • Slow release - carbon-based (organic), Osmocote®

  9. Fertilizer Grade • Definition - guaranteed minimum % of total N, available P, and water-soluble K • 10-10-5 = • 10% total nitrogen • 10% available phosphoric acid • 5% water-soluble potash

  10. Determining Fertilizer Needs • Soil Testing • Must collect representative samples • Professional labs analyze soil for a fee • Also provide fertilizer recommendations • Home testing kits available • Indicates levels of P, K, Mg, pH, and CEC • Poor indicator of nitrogen levels due to • Leaching losses • Mineralization

  11. Calculating Fertilizer Rates • Measure area to be fertilized • 10ft x 40ft = 400ft2 • Determine amount applied/Acre using soil test recommendations • Need - 100lb/A total N 100lb/A available P 50lb/A water-soluble K

  12. Calculating Fertilizer Rates… • Use fertilizer grade to convert amount of nutrients/A to amount fertilizer/A • 100lbs/A total N = 1000lbs fertilizer/A .10 • 100lbs/A available P = 1000lbs fertilizer/A .10 • 50lbs/A water-soluble K = 1000lbs fertilizer/A .05

  13. Calculating Fertilizer Rates… • Determine amount fertilizer for your garden space - 400ft2 • 43,560 ft2 in an acre • Set up a proportion • 1000lbs fertilizer = x__ 43,560 ft2 400ft2 • x = 9.18 lbs fertilizer • 9.18 lbs x 454.6g/lb = 4,172g fertilizer!

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