Middletown transcript. [volume] (Middletown, Del.) 1868-current, 1919-08-30
A GOOD FERTILIZER
Wheat Responds Best to Phos-
phoric Acid
PLOW YOUR LAND EARLY

The lack of proper fertilization i:
often the cause of poor yield Of wheat
on Delaware soils. While the first con.
sideration is the thorough preparation
of the soil through crop rotation ano
good tiIlage, certain applications Of
plant food are necessary on most farms
to secure the best yields Of grain. The
use OF legume crops and manure in the
rotation lessons the demands tor ferti.
lizers carrying large per cent. OF
nitrogen.
The kind and amount of fertilizers
that may be used with the greatest
profit will depend on the previous crop
ping of the land and it's natural fertil
ity. No rule can be laid down as to
what fertilizer formula is best for
wheat on all farms. However. there
are some general principles which apply
to the fertilizer requirement of wheat.
On Delaware soils wheat responds
readily to liberal use of phosphoric
acid. Experiments at this Station show
that phosphoric acid when used alone,
produce greater increase in the yield
of wheat than either nitrogen or potash
used singly, 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 amounts.
either by the soil or by the grower that
the maximum yield will be secured. On
poor soils it will be necessary to supply
all three elements of plant food. Where
the land has been carefully rotated with
legumes, or where legume such as
cowpeas precedes the wheat crop only
phosphoric acid and potash are greatly
needed. If the soil has not been kept
in good state of fertility by rotation,
the liberal use will pay, and wheat is to
follow, phoSphoric acid alone is suffi-
cient if seeded early. Late seeded
wheat should always have more nitro
gen in order. for it t. make enough
growth in the fall to pass the winter in
good condition. If cowpeas are turned
under phosphoric acid alone will prob
ably give the best returns.
Where it Is possible to plow land for
wheat early, or to follow some early
maturing crop such as factory peas or
early potatoes. less nitrogen is neces-
sarv in the fertilizer as the following of
soil we'll supplied with organic matter
through several weeks tends to make
available the sol nitrogen. 1t is well
to apply 200 to 300 pounds of acid phos-
phate per acre under such conditions. If
manure is available for the wheat land
spread it on the surface of the plowed
ground and disk it in. This should be
supplemented at time of seeding by 25O
pounds of acid phosphate per acre.
Wheat following tomatoes requires lit
tie fertilizer except 2)0 to 300 pounds
Of acid phosphate per acre. Tomato
land should be seeded as early>as possi-
bic after the tomatoes are removed. Ii
wheat follows wheat or oats. 300 to 40O
pounds of fertilizer carrying from z
to 4 per cent. of nitrogen. 10 to II per
cent phosphoric acid 2 to 4 per cent. OF
potash Is recommended. The effective
ness of fertilizers is governed to con-
siderable extent by the time Of seeding.
Likewise, wheat may be seeded much
later if the proper kind and amount OF
plant food is used. Where it is planned
to top-dress the wheat with nitrate OF
soda in the spring it is quite necessary
that the crop be we'll fertilized witt
phosphoric acid in the fall.
A, f.. GRANTHAM,
Department Agronomy,
Della. Agricultural Experiment Station