Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1936-05-02

The majority Of sugar beet grow
erS no longer consider the use of
phosphate fertilizer an experiment.
They have proven to their own sat
isfacti0n that phosphate fertilizers
! give them an increased yield of
! sugar beefs and that its use returns
them handsome profit. Occasion
any however, q grower reports that
ne has used phosphate and was
unable TO detect any beneficial Re-
suits This may be due to a number
of factors.
Many experiments have been made
the last Few years to determine how
the most profitable returns can be
obtained from the use of phosphate
fertilizer. The knowledge already
gained may make the use OF phosphate
even more profitable to those growers
who are now satisfied with results as
well as reveal why others have been
unable to notice any improvement. Two
factors have been found which greatly
influence results obtained from the
use OF phosphate. These two factors
are:
/. Method Of application.
2. Rate of application.
Method of application Is important
and often influences success or failure
Certain individual factors must be con-
sidered to determine the best method Of
application.
If a grower wants to hold his invest
ment in phosphate down to the lowest
possible figure and Is primarily inter
ested in return on the immediate beet
crop, the best way to apply phosphate
Is with the fertilizer attachment on the
beet seed planter, because, where only
SO to 125 pounds per acre is applied the
phosphate should be placed close to the
seed.
Unsatisfactory results often follow
small applications broadcast, for the
phosphate is so diffuSed in the soil
that the high lime content Of our west
ern soils more readily combines with
the phosphate, delays its availability
and prevents the crop from utilizing
the phosphate to best advantage.
Where 1t is concentrated close to the
seed, reversion is prevented and the
immediate crop gets the fun benefit.
While best results are obtained with
small applications Of phosphate close to
the seed, larger applications by this
method are dangerous because of So
called burning. Actually, this burning
is due to a lack of moisture If beetS
are irrigated soon after planting, or if
the soil is quite moist at planting time,
quantities of phosphate
Cel4 NC dpD41CQ WIFI b1lG oeeQ WlOlfOuJl
injury But if the soil is dry and the
beets are not irrigated up" not more
than 1875 pounds of phosphate per acre
should be applied with the seed.
The broadcast method Of applying
phosphate for sugar beets Is effective
if enough is applied. BY this method
200 to 300 pounds of phosphate per acre
Is the proper quantity. In an acre of
ground, to a depth of six inches, there
are approximately 100000 pounds of
;oil. This fact emphasizes the extreme
diffusion obtained when only so to 125
pounds Of phosphate are distributed
n this vast quantity of soil. With
heavier applications a certain percent
age Of the phosphate can be rendered
unavailable and still enough
will be present to properly feed the
;rop.
The broadcast method with heavier
applications has the advantage OF Civ
ng uniform residual results on sue
;eed1ng crops. Results with broadcast |
implication are usually noticeable for
hree years. Another point In favor Of
lroadcasting is the elimination of anv
termination injury To illustrate the |
of broadcasting largerl
mounts, certain tests with 125 pounds |
II phosphate broadcast have given no |