How can we build up soil levels of P and K in a no-till system?
If the main objective of the fertilizer program is to build soil levels of P and K under a no-till system and if large quantities of fertilizer will be needed to do this, most of the fertilizer must be broadcast so that salt problems will be minimized. It normally takes 10 lbs. of P2O5 and 2-10 lbs of K2O per acre to increase soil test values 1 lb./A for a 6 2/3 inch acre slice? Without mixing, P and K will move very slowly into the soil profile (about 1/2-1 inch per year). Therefore, a buildup program is very slow for the 4-8 inch soil depth. We recommend that only 20-100 units of fertilizer be applied annually through the planter. For information on the use of N fertilizer under no-till conditions, refer to the section entitled “Nitrogen”. 5. What is going to be the result of long term use of anhydrous and lime applied only to soil surface? In a continuous no-till program, injection of anhydrous ammonia at a depth of 6-8 inches will cause the formation of an acid zone below the surfa
