Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
19
When to apply fertilisers to plants
Why is timing important?
A significant amount of fertiliser applied to crops and pastures is lost through:
leaching down into the subsoil
surface runoff into drains
removal by wind as dust
chemical changes in the soil, so it is unavailable to plants.
This fertiliser is therefore unavailable to plants and represents a farm cost that
gives no return at all. In fact, it can increase the rate of soil acidification on the
farm and cause environmental damage to streams and rivers.
Getting the best return for dollars spent on fertilisers
Obtaining the best return for dollars spent on fertilisers is achieved by working
through the following steps:
Take soil samples for each soil type and have them laboratory tested.
From the test results assess the soil pH and adjust it if necessary. If the soil is
acid, adding lime at the rate of 1 tonne per hectare will raise soil pH about 0.5
of a pH unit in a poorly buffered soil, and less in a well-buffered soil. Aim for a
pH range of 6.0-6.5.
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