Ag 101 Week 44

Potassium – Quality vs. Quantity

Last week was not my best post. Sorry. I explained how I haven’t been feeling the best and frankly writing on a good day is hard enough for me. It’s harder yet on days where I pretty much want to go back to bed.

I’m thankful to be in a position in life I can set my own pace, make my schedule, and I have supportive friends, family, clients, and followers.

According to the doctor, I’m not dying. I needed a different medication to reduce the inflammation and eight weeks of therapy. I’ve also decided to make a few more modifications to my diet to keep improving my health and help elevate the grouchy disposition I have had lately.  I’m giving up coffee; it might get worse before it gets better.                 

Enough with the pity party, now let’s talk about potassium!

I have to admit, potassium (K) is one of my favorite nutrients to talk about. I’m pretty sure it’s because it is a quality vs. quantity factor. I often refer to it as the dessert part of a meal for your plants, and let’s face it that’s my favorite part of the meal. Rely on nitrogen and phosphorus to push yields, but hand it over to potassium to develop kernels, fruit, and blooms. To top off my love affair with it, some of my favorite organic inputs are sources of potassium.

One of the best resources I have that talks about potassium is the Soil fertility Manual published by the Potash & Phosphate Institute of Canada.  I find it to be a valuable resource for soil fertility in general as well.

Here are a few things potassium plays a role in-

1.      Helps ionic balance in plant cells

Ionic balance is the relationship between cations and anions. Which leads to turgor, known as the pressure within the cell wall of a plant that keeps it from wilting.

2.      Helps a plant to overcome diseases

3.      Help a plant to over winter

4.      Helps with optimizing enzymatic systems that regulate plant growth

5.      Helps develop fruit quality, size, taste, color, and storage length

Potassium can be a difficult nutrient to manage in a sense it is not particularly mobile in the soil, except sandy or high organic matter soils. It also has an interesting relationship with calcium and magnesium making it a nutrient of particular concern in forages. Too much potassium can slow down bacteria develop in the gut of a rumen. Too little can lead to fertility issues. My dad is the animal nutritionist, and I’m the agronomist. We have a long-standing conversation about how to balance potassium for optimal plant health vs. animal health. He politely reminds me agronomist are notorious for being cow killers. Since certain crops like alfalfa are considered luxury consumers of K, meaning they will utilize considerably more than they need, much like when I eat cheesecake, the plant will take up as much as you put down. This will produce a great crop but not necessarily healthy for your animals. I can also hear him repeating, “ Alfalfa, Medicago sativa L., is the queen of the farm. Treat her well and she’ll treat you well.”

Thank you, Dad, for keeping me in check.

Potassium exists in three forms in the soil-

Unavailable- This is the form found in the mineral fraction of the soil. It takes the process of weatherization to release and is therefore only available in the soils that are in regions that are well weathered. They are often depleted due to miss management.  

Slowly available- This form is fixed in layers of potassium silicate clays such as greensand. As the clay shrinks and swells during dry and wet periods the potassium is slowly released.

Available- this form is found in the soil solution held by the cation exchange capacity -the fraction of the soil made up of organic matter and clay- but can only account for about 10lbs/acre or less of available K to the plant. Definitely not sufficient for a growing season.

What are some organic sources for potassium-

Manures- Typical analysis 1-3% Medium to rapid release

Great source especially sheep and bat guano. However, care needs to be taken that you are not over applying and causing the very issues you don’t want like disease and insect pressure.

Alfalfa, Cottonseed, and Soybean Meal- Typical Analysis 1-2% Slow to medium release

These are an all-around season long suppliers of not only nitrogen, a small fraction of phosphorus, but potassium as well.

Refer back to week 42

https://www.theaccidentalagronomist.com/news/2018/10/14/ag-101-week-42

Wood Ash- Typical analysis 3-7% Fast acting

I list this one hesitantly, however, feel it should be talked about. It can be a good addition especially to a compost pile that has time to rest. The challenge with wood ash is it is over applied and changes the chemistry of the soil quickly due to its particle size and makeup. The adage, a little goes a long way is fitting.

Sunflower Hull Ash (K Ash)- Typical analysis 34-36% K Availability dependent on mesh size and pH of soil being used in.

Sunflower hull ash is a relatively new product. Although it has some added benefits of having about 4% phosphorus and trace minerals, it should not be used in the soil the has a pH of 7 or higher. It has a pH of 8-10 making its applications limited to particular situations.

 Potassium Sulfate (SOP)- Typical analysis 50-52% Fast acting

I often have greenhouse growers run SOP at certain points of the growing season to help keep the plant producing and yielding a marketable size fruit such as tomatoes and cucumbers. It is soluble and has sulfur which can help mitigate higher pH’s that greenhouse growers are sometimes challenged with.

Granite Dust- Typical analysis 3-6% Very slow release

As mentioned earlier this is a source of potassium that takes weatherization to release the available potassium that is in the matrix of the granite.

Sul-Po-Mag (Sulfate of potash magnesia, K Mag)- Typical analysis 22%K 22%Sulfur 11%Mg Medium to fast availability

Much like SOP, it is relatively soluble depending on particle size.

High K & Low K Seaweed Shakings- Typical analysis ~27% High K, ~5% Low K

Generally used as a component in a fertilizer blends.

Kelp- Typical analysis 4-13% Slow to medium release

Kelp can be used as a liquid concentrate, powder, or meal. It can be attributed for being part of all five of the previously listed roles K plays in plant health. If I was reduced to recommending one product kelp would be it. That being said you still need to use it judiciously as to not decrease its efficacy.

Refer to week 22 & 38 for more specific uses.

https://www.theaccidentalagronomist.com/news/2018/5/27/ag-101-week-22

https://www.theaccidentalagronomist.com/news/2018/9/9/ag-101-week-38

Greensand- Typical analysis ~5% Very slow release

I could list other clay-based materials as well. However, greensand is my favorite, especially considering what it is capable of while being a good source of K and trace minerals. When I got into organic agriculture and was working for a fertilizer company, I had never heard of anything like greensand. They would explain greensand as being magic. It could loosen tight soils and tighten loose soils. Not being satisfied with the supernatural explanation, I came to learn the power of greensand is in the structure. It has a unique layered structure unlike any other clay giving it the ability to correct a variety of soil structure issues. Hands down I would use greensand before any others. I often recommend a 50/50 mix of greensand and kelp.

Refer to week 28 for a brief overview of clays

https://www.theaccidentalagronomist.com/news/2018/7/6/ag-101-week-28

Greensand & Kelp

Ag 101 Week 43

Phosphorus

I had to have some help with this weeks’ post.  Here’s the backstory-

Since July I have had health challenges. It started with pain in my right leg and has now started in my left arm and hand. I have never liked typing; now it has just become physically painful.

I was going to ask my husband for help with typing, but he reluctantly had to go to Texas for work. So, I called a friend to see if they could help me and we ended up going to the emergency room instead. While waiting to see the doctor, she pulled out a notebook to start taking notes and being the amazing English teacher that she is, began with a Venn diagram.

I was called back before we could finish.

To make a very long story short after several visits to the doctor’s office the past few months, and a trip to the emergency room this past weekend I now have an appointment to see a specialist later this week and will hopefully have more answers, and a plan has to how to move forward.

I have had no desire to even think about this weeks’ topic let alone write about it.

However, I’ve committed to offering something every week.

I got the bright idea to finish the Venn Diagram add a few more notes and call it a day.

Not my original intention, but who doesn’t love a good Venn diagram about phosphorus!

My only regret- Not having my friend finish it. Her handwriting is so much better than mine.

Ag 101 Week 42

Nitrogen

Last week I said I was going to start and break down what goes into a bag of fertilizer. If you recall, I likened each component to a piston in an engine. Put the right pistons together, and you get a locomotive engine, put others together, and you get a Yugo.

You buy a bag of blended fertilizer, and you are getting a mix of nutrients that supply a plant with nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium - NPK. In some cases, you can get some magnesium, calcium, sulfur, and trace minerals. I’m sure most of you know that already.

So, I want to go over a few questions I get; then we’ll take a look of some more commonly used components within the organic or softer chemistry area of fertilizers.

Why are the numbers, otherwise known as NPK values, so much lower in organic fertilizers than conventional?

The numbers representing NPK are a ratio of the percentage of available nutrients. The amount of the nutrient that is soluble and readily available for the plant to use. The more solvent, the higher the number and the more significant amount that the plant can uptake sooner. In the case of organic fertilizers, you have to also consider variabilities due to the fact components are naturally sourced materials, i.e., mined from clay deposits or animal by-products. Nature is not always consistent. One of the best benefits of organic fertilizers is a more extended nutrient supply over the growing season given the fact they are comprised of soluble and insoluble forms of nutrients. Given adequate moisture, biological actively, and crop type a natural fertilizer can take you through from planting to harvest. Once again, I stress it is crop specific and dependent on other management decisions. I will often suggest a split application if at all possible or fertilizing with a liquid to get through a season depending on all the variables.

Keep in mind from week 5 when fertilizing you are feeding the plant and the soil. Some are hungrier than others and at a different rate.  

 https://www.theaccidentalagronomist.com/news/2018/1/21/ag-101-week-5

What is the difference between soluble and insoluble nutrients?

A soluble form of a nutrient is readily available to the plant for immediate uptake. Insoluble nutrients are held in the soil longer and need to be converted to plant available forms by the bacteria and fungi present in the soil. Other factors determining the rate at which they become soluble are soil moisture, temperature, and pH.

 What does it take to ensure a fertility program is effective?

1.      pH management -You want to manage pH to accomplish two things

First be in a range for optimal nutrient uptake based on soil type and crop variety while staying slightly acidic to help make nutrients available through mineralization and biological activity.

2.      Irrigation management

A fertility program is only as effective as your irrigation.

3.      Good amendment & fertilizer practices

Fertilizing is strategic and should be applied at the right rate, time, location using the right source. I discussed that in weeks 6 & 10

https://www.theaccidentalagronomist.com/news/2018/2/5/ag-101-week-6

https://www.theaccidentalagronomist.com/news/2018/2/25/ag-101-week-10

You could say I’m finally getting around to talking about the fourth – the source.

Let’s talk about nitrogen-

Nitrogen is used for several functions in the plant including the production of proteins that lead to tissue development

It also plays a role in chlorophyll production.

It is critical in leading to the vegetative growth in a plant but can become problematic when over applied for several reasons.

Such as-

Environmental issues

Increased insect pressure

A plants’ inability to retain blooms, such as in tomatoes

Balancing a plant’s need for nitrogen at the time it is required by the plant is a matter of timing it’s application. Even though it is abundant in the air we breathe, unlike phosphorus and potassium, it is not found in sufficient levels in the soil because it is not present in the parent material giving soil its properties.

By themselves, plants cannot use atmospheric nitrogen. It has to be converted by nitrogen-fixing bacteria in the form of NO3¯ or applied in a plant available form at the right time.

Due to the fact, the form most available to plants has a negative charge, it is not held in the soil and is more sustainable to leaching. If you recall, the cation exchange capacity is a soil’s ability to hold onto positively charged ions.

Nitrogen management is centered around optimizing nitrogen fixation by the soil biology and minimizing loss by using good management practices such as timing and location of fertilizers and manures.

With some conventional forms of nitrogen such as ones that are ammonium based, except ammonium sulfate, they have an acidifying effect on soil. Meaning they lower the pH. This can be an issue with over applying it and repeated long-term use. It is often not seen immediately but as somewhat of a cumulative effect based on cropping history, moisture, temperate, etc.

Over the past several years I have not seen that to be as much of an issue with organic sources. However, I have not found much research or data on the subject either. It should be noted that everything you put into the soil at some point in time effects it, whether immediate or long term.

Let’s talk about some common organic nitrogen components used in fertilizers.

First, I’m going to start with a three that are conventional component equivalents. Meaning they are still a naturally derived source, that can be used in an organic system but is more soluble and available to the plant quicker rather than later making them somewhat similar to that of conventional chemistries.

Blood Meal

It typically has an analysis of 10-13%N

It has been shown to have deer and rabbit repellant properties when used as a top dress. However, it may attract other animals such as raccoons and dogs.

Blood meal is primarily hemoglobin, which is a protein, and iron. In my experience, I have found the concentration of iron not to be an issue, just something to be mindful of

It can be cost prohibited to use it as a single source of nitrogen. However, when added to a blend It is a rapid release source making it a significant component when used with other mid and slower release forms

Chicken Manure

Of all the manures it is, in general, the one highest in nitrogen typically ranging from 2-8%

Keep in mind the analysis of manures of any type can be extremely variable based on source and solid to liquid ratios

It is available in several forms from liquid to pellets and relatively inexpensive depending on what part of the country you are in

It is also a good addition if lime and phosphorus are needed

Sodium Nitrate (Chilean Nitrate)

It is water soluble at a guaranteed 15% total N availability, with 2% potash, and 1% sulfur. The new formulation has allowed for ease of shipping because it is no longer considered a hazardous material.

The fact it is readily solubilized in water makes this the best choice for a starter fertilizer, especially for corn. It gives corn the boost it needs to get out of the ground even if planted into soils that might be cooler than what is generally required to get the best germination rate.

It can be an expensive insurance policy if not used accordingly and applied with good seed to fertilizer placement at the right rate. This is when cleaning, calibrating, and using the right equipment are essential as well.

I highly recommend using it in a blend as opposed to a straight source of nitrogen for several reasons. First, it can be expensive. Second, it is available almost immediately to the plant, making it the first to be used during the growing season, leaving the plant with nothing in reserve for the next several weeks that nitrogen is vital to develop enough vegetation for the plant to efficiently and adequately be able to perform photosynthesis. Remember it is a balance between vegetative growth and reproductive growth.

Next, the following have medium to slow release rates of nitrogen. They are relatively insoluble.

Fish/crab/shrimp meal

Typical analysis ranges from 5-30%N

Typically, fish ranges from 5-9%N depending on whether it is a meal, powder or liquid

Crap and Shrimp range from 10-30%N with 11-18%Ca depending on the shell to meat ratio

Crab makes an excellent addition to a fertilizer blend for the extra calcium, and the addition on an enzyme called chitin that has been shown to help control nematodes in the soil

Peanut meal

A typical analysis is 8-9%N

Can be cost prohibitive and not allowed due to allergen restrictions

Bone meal

A typical analysis is 3-4%N

It is also a good source of phosphorus and calcium

Feather meal

Typical analysis 11-15%N

Apply early in the season to take advantage of slower release rate providing nitrogen over the course of the growing season

 Soybean meal

A typical analysis is 6-7%N

A good source for full season nitrogen supply

Soybean meal has been shown to burn new seedlings and reduce germination rates potentially. Care should be exercised when timing the application

 Manures

For years now, agricultural manures have gotten a lot of press. After taking the PA Nutrient Management courses, I concluded – shit’s complicated. Gone are the days you cleaned the barn and piled it out of the way so you could spread it when you had more time. Raw manure is the most nutrient dense. The longer it composts it losses its nutrient value. Over applying it, can lead to not only environmental issues also pest and disease challenges.

However, there is one manure that is gaining popularity with tobacco and cannabis growers, and its bat guano. It is cost prohibitive to use on a large scale, but I feel it is important enough to mention as a potential source of not only nitrogen but phosphorus as well, while being low in salts.

A typical analysis is 5-12% depending on the source

It is fast acting and soluble in water making it a great addition to a liquid program for cannabis especially vegetative and flowering stages

I have several growers using it in sub-irrigation systems for starting organic tobacco. They like the fact its water soluble and doesn’t seem to burn the way other fertilizers have a tendency to do if not managed correctly.

 There are several other sources I could mention that are used for nitrogen such as corn gluten, alfalfa meal, legumes, and cottonseed meal.

We’ll cover those and more during the time remaining in the 52 Weeks of Agronomy Series.

Ag 101 Week 41

It’s Not Just Fairy Dust & Go-Go Juice – It’s Chemistry

Five years ago, when I told my Dad, I was going to work for an organic fertilizer company there was a long pause of silence.  After some more discussion he concluded that it must not be that big of a company so why not get back into the workforce with a small local business. Little did we know what I had gotten in to.

It was culture shock in more ways than one.

If you recall, I’m the girl that still thinks Kenny & Dolly are platonic and…

I didn’t come from the world of ‘organic/all-natural’ fertilizers. I came from a long line of tried and true conventional farming chemistries and practices that my family still uses today. Chemistries that are not even an option for or for that matter are even somewhat shunned by over 50% of the growers I currently work with. I almost titled this week’s post, “I Go Both Ways.” Because I work with all types of farmers/growers; large, small, conventional, certified organic, everything in between, and the list keeps growing.

Here’s why-

Agronomy is a universal language spoken between the soil and the crop. Fertilizers and amendments are chemistries, whether they are naturally or synthetically derived, that are used to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the soil and plants communication. Whether it is a by-product of industry, created in a lab, dug up from a mine somewhere from around the world, hauled out of the ocean, or an extract from a plant it is chemistry. All need to be used responsibly to ensure the future of farming, our food supply, and the environment.

As I started learning and getting more and more familiar with the world of organics I brought my dad to meetings so he too could learn and hear about the fascinating ways which they use all the amazing resources our world has to offer.

After one meeting, while we were having coffee, he said, “I guess I was wrong Monica. The way you explained things made me realize it’s not just fairy dust and go-go juice. You have a mighty big task ahead of you to get both sides to realize that and the farmers that use them to do so as efficiently and effectively as possible.”

Don’t be fooled; I still get the funny comments like, “Do you make them spin in three circles before sprinkling the fairy dust, or do they sprinkle then spin?” Or, “Why does go-go juice attract so many cats?” Better yet, “What’s Monica bringing to the family reunion? Fish and kelp, haha!” However, my dad has come a long way from the once staunch naysayer to one of my biggest supporters, and for that, I am very grateful.

Ask my neighbor; I also make several recommendations with conventional chemistries I don’t even mention in some circles. While we are working in our gardens, she graciously listens as I tell her about the fine line I walk between both worlds.

Considering I have ‘a mighty big task ahead of me’ and we are at a point in the growing season that farmers should be soil testing to make amending and fertilizing decisions, over the next several posts we’re going to talk about what makes up a bag of fairy dust otherwise known as organic fertilizer.

If you recall I’ve talked about how fertilizer blends are not always one size fits all. I do find myself recommending more amending and management options before fertilizers to most farmers. However, the more you understand what each component can do, the more informed decision you can make.

https://www.theaccidentalagronomist.com/news/2018/3/3/fertilizers-and-pajamas

Just as I stated in Week 11 comparing fertilizer blends to pajamas, there are fillers added to them for specific reasons ranging from making up the volume to helping the product flow through manufacturing and spreading equipment. Those ‘fillers’ come with consequences both good and bad depending on whether you are aware of them and can plan in others areas of your fertility management. However, using a blend can extend a fertility plan and reduce the number of applications if careful consideration is made when choosing which one you use

Look at a bag of fertilizer as an engine, and each component in that blend is a piston, understanding the specific function of each piston is key to buying the right fertilizer and more importantly using it the best way. That knowledge along with a soil test and knowing the type of soil you’re working with is what gives you the necessary pieces of the puzzle in putting together a sustainable fertility plan.

Not quite the look I was going for, but thank you Google Images for the help

The link below is a free e-book titled Understanding Amendments & Fertilizers I put together over a year ago. I’m in the process of updating it and offering this one to you as an intro to organic and all-natural amendments & fertilizers for signing up to receive news and updates.

Over the next several weeks we’ll cover nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and trace mineral components that make-up what goes into a bag of fertilizer, and you’ll see it’s not just fairy dust and go-go juice.

Ag 101 Week 40

No Assembly Required

I posted this graphic on Instagram this week. At the time, I had planned on writing a lengthy explanation as to what I meant and at the last minute deleted. I wanted to see what kind of response I would get.

One person asked if I was against soil building techniques. The following was my reply

“Not against good management practices at all. They are part of what it takes to be good stewards of the soil. But, soil comes pre-assembled. It’s like a set of shelves that are ready and waiting for you to start stacking books on. Or better yet, to start using and storing nutrients in for the microbes and plants that rely on it. All you need to do is take time to understand the specs the shelves came with, or what I refer to as the inherent characteristics your soil came with. We amend, which is a temporary change to the physical and chemical characteristics and we fertilize which is strategic and is intended to feed the biology in the soil and the plant, depending on the type of inputs you use. Neither build, they complement what’s already there.”

Another person explained, “permaculture allows for amendment added in 1-foot layers starting from a depth of 6 feet below grade. That’s building soil…The amendments are specific and by their nature create a mycillium layer right at the frost line. “

To this, I responded

“If I understand correctly, you still have the parent material left. For lack of better terms, that is what ‘builds soil’ and dictates its characteristics. I have long wanted to understand permaculture better and have not taken the time to do more research on it. If you have any good resources I would love to read more about it.”

If indeed taking away the top six feet is what permaculture prescribes, it seems pretty destructive to me. Here again, I don’t know that much about it.

Three things I want to point out-

1.     Soil doesn’t know and or understand any of this. It comes the way it is and has had stuff growing in it way before we got here. We need to either work with or against it. It is selfish and doesn’t follow trends.

2.     If people understood the difference between amending and fertilizing that alone would save them money and have a more significant impact on helping the environment than some of the other things we do.

3.     Long-term soil fertility, the kind that keeps soil healthy and you and the next generation farming and eating is a balance between the actual make of the soil specifically the clay fraction, organic matter management, and the physical management of it as well.

The notion that we build soil has been around for a while now. You see it phrased that way on social media, industry gurus say it all the time, everyone who’s anyone has used the term at some point in time. It sounds powerful and gives us a sense we are in control. It is what good marketing is made of. It’s even on one of my favorite books, Building Soil for Better Crops by Magdoff & Van Es. If you’re in the industry, you want to jump on the bandwagon and ride the wave of being known as the one who builds the best soil ever! Right?

Here’s the challenge I have with the statement, “build soil”-

We can’t build soil. It comes no assembly required. You don’t open a box like you do from Ikea and put the pieces together.

It comes pre-assembled with both physical and chemical characteristics that we can’t change. They are dictated by its parent material. We have nothing to do with it. The soil is what it is, and we have to except that.

I talk about those in weeks 8 & 9

https://www.theaccidentalagronomist.com/news/2018/2/11/ag-101-week-8

https://www.theaccidentalagronomist.com/news/2018/2/15/ag-101-week-9

However, there is one thing we can do. We can amend it. But, there’s another kick in the pants. No matter what amending you do, no matter what type of amendments you use it is only temporary. It doesn’t last forever. Soils main objective is to go back to what it originally was no matter what we try to do with it. You always have to be tinkering with it to keep it the way you want it.

I hate to say it, but there is no Ronco Set It & Forget It when it comes to soil. It is a constant work in progress.

I have said that organic matter gets all the attention and clay is often overlooked while being misunderstood for what it brings to the table in soil management.

If I were to put it into somewhat crude and simple terms

Organic matter

is the girl you want to date. She’s fun, easy to get along with, doesn’t require much attention and is relatively inexpensive. It is the most biologically active fraction of the soil. It does have a negative charge due to humus. However, it is referred to as being loose because it doesn’t have the structure that clay does. Humus, all though being somewhat stable breakdowns faster than clay and needs to be replenished to keep nutrient holding capacity and availability in check.

Clay

is the women you want to marry. However, she requires more strategy. She won’t go for just dinner and a movie. She might need something more expensive to keep her happy. However, if managed properly and the timing and application are well thought out and strategic, it will be well worth the effort and expense.

When you have a balance of both organic matter and clay you get married and live happily ever after. I realize my analogy is probably offensive to some, but it illustrates my point.

All of this leads back to knowing your soil type, getting a soil test and balancing the biological, the chemical, and the physical.