Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-04-24
Applying Acid Phosphate to Cotton

Applying Acid Phosphate to Cotton
A. r. M, Buffalo, Ala, writes:
When Is the best time to put
in acid phosphate for cotton?
Some of my neighbors who are
Sood farmers say it should be
put in at ,east a month before
planting time so as to become
available in time for the plant
but | thought the Is per cent
available phosphate would be-
come available at once. Please
set me right on this question. |
will have ten acres in cotton,
and want to use 500 pounds Of
acid, 800 pounds of soda and
leo pounds of kainit What do
you think of this formula and
when should itbe applied?
The plant food contained in acid
Phosphate does not become as quick-
lY available to growing plants as
that provided by most forns Of ri.
trogenous fertilizer. In other words,
PLANTS do not take up the percent
age Of available phosph bic acid
which acid phosphate contains as
rap cay as they would nitrogen com.
pounds. 1t is far this reason pre-
sumably that the idea has ariven in
the public mind that this material
should be put in the ground some
time before planting occurs. There
Is a degree of reason in this idea
that is worthy OF consideration AT
the salcc time, we hardly think 1t
necessary or advisable to put the
fertilizer formulas desired for cot
ton in the ground more than a week
before the cotton Is planted. Where
conditions are favorable, We often
open 4 furrow where the row L. 10
stand, put the fertilizer therein, and
mix With the subs Ill. Two fIlrrrws
are then drawn together to make a
bed for the cotton. AS we like for
the seed bed to be firm, we allow
the land a least q week in which
to settle before planting begins.
The formula you propose using Is
a very good one. Six hundred
pounds of acid phosphate would
supply 96 pounds of available phos-
phoric acid, which we think is a lib
eral amount to use on land 'of the
type YOU possess. Three hundred
pounds of nitrate of soda would sup
ply from As to As pounds of nitro
gen. This also we consider a liberal
amount of this element to apply
One hundred pounds of kainit would
supply only about IS pounds OF
available potash. We think you
are low in this element, and would
suggest that you us emuriate OF pot
ash instead of kainit. This would
supply the right amount of potash
to use in connection with &c pounds
OF available acid and As pounds oil
available nitrogen Under boil weeVil
conditions the land should be fall
plowed for cotton because this en-
ables you to bed it earlier and pre-
pare it more satisfactorily for plant
ing on that account. The earliest
planting consistent with the arrival
of temperatures that will insure the
rapid termination of the cotton
must still be practiced. We would
put practically all OF the cotton
under the drill row at the time OF
plstnting the cotton. Some peopie
advise, the use Of 100 pounds of nj
trate of soda as a wide application
We do not advise against this prac
tice. bat we have AZ had the re
SUITS ION This met, of procedure
we hal ) -ned to oh "a Frequent
shallow cultivation Of The cotton
closer feather tina !, meYly. Leave
the cotton plants 4 hoes width
apart III lie drill ID leave two Ul
three plants in place. 1t is impor
tant to plant only high-grade. early
maturing, standard varieties OF cot
ton.