Newark post., 1917-09-05
INCREASE THE
YIELD OF WHEAT
The Use Of Fertilizers

r.O0 IS often the cause VI pun
Yields of wheat in Delaware.
While the first consideration is the
thoro preparation of the soil thru
crop rotation. certain applications
Of plant food are necessary to Sc
cure the largest yields of grain.
The use Of legume crops in the
rotation lessons the demand for
fertilizers carrying a nigh per-
centage of nitrogen. To enable
The wheat crop to use plant food
% the best advantage. the soil
must be kept in good physical con-
&:t.on in relation to moisture,
drainage and bacterial activity.
Wheat responds more readily to
applications of plant food than
o.o>t other crops. This is largely
iue to the fact that wheat makes
The most of its growth during
comparatively short period and
consequently requires an abund-
ant supply Of available plant food.
The maturity of wheat may be
con s.derably DELAYED if the soil is
deficient in certain elements OF
alant food. The lack of sufficient
available phosphoric acid will de-
lay the ripening of wheat ) 10 7
days. Experiments at the State
Farm show that wheat fertil!zed
will mature nearly week earlier
Than that which is not fertiliZed.
Early maturity lie sens the
chance of loss from fungus dis
ease and is accompanied by bet
Ter quality of grain.
The kind and amount of fertil-
.zers to use will depend on the pre-
v!ous cropping Of the land and its
natural fertility. No rule can be
laid down as to what fertilizer
formula is best for wheat on all
carms The farmer can best judge
Of the soil requirements provid-
ing he knows how the soil has
been managed in the past and has
noted carefully the results obtain
ed from the use Of various fertil-
iZerS. However, there are some
general principles which apply to
the fertilizer requirements of
wheat. On Eastern soils wheat
responds readily to a liberal use
If phoSphoric acid. Experiments
at increase than either nitrogen or
potash indicating that the soil is
deficient in phosphoric acid. This
does not mean that nitrogen and
potash are not necessary for the
best results. 1t is only when the
three, nitrogen. phosphoric acid
and potash are supplied in the
proper amount either by the soil
or by the grower that a maximum
WELD will be secured. On thin
soils it will be necessary to apply
the three elements of plant food.
Where the land has been carefully
rotated with legumes, or legume
precedes the wheat crop, only
phosphoric acid and potash are
greatly needed. Experiments at
the Delaware Station show that
under the above conditions nitro
gen rarely pays. Where the land
has not been kept up by rotation
a liberal use of nitrogen in the
fertilizer is generally necessary to
get a normal yield. Where wheat
is to follow corn to which has been
applied a moderate quantity of
stable manure, acid phosphate
alone should give good results. If
the fertilizers used do not con-
train nitrogen it is we'll to seed the
wheat a little earlier than usual.
If the corn land is rot in a good
state of fertility fertilizer car
rying to 3 percent nitrogen and
10 percent of phosphoric acid is
desirable. In case the wheat fol-
lows wheat or oats fertilizer car
rying 3 to percent nitrogen. and
10 to ~ percent phosphoric acid
is desirable. The normal fertilizer
for wheat contains from to per-
cent nitrogen. 10 to II percent
phosphoric acid and to 5 percent
potash. Owing to the lack Of
potash on the market it would be
desirable to increase the percent
age of phosphoric acid slightly. If
soy beans. cowpeas, early potatoes
or other titled crops are followed
by wheat an application of 3 to 4
hundred pounds of acid phosphate
per acre will give results. Fertil
izers for wheat should be applied
rather literally. Four to five
hundred pounds per acre is not TOT
much, considering the grass is t.
follow the wheat.
The high price of fertilizer may
cause some wheat growers t.
question the desirablity of extend
L L