Monday, 7 November 2005
9

Non-Traditional Soil Amendments in Western U.S. Alfalfa Production.

David R. Drake, Utah State University Extension, 250 North Main, Richfield, UT 84701

Non-traditional soil amendments of unknown or unproven utility are being marketed to western U.S. alfalfa producers as products to increase forage production, forage quality, soil fertility, and beneficial soil properties. Generally, products contain low percentages of macro and micro nutrients, cultured substances, and various raw or extracted materials. Two commercial products were evaluated for forage yield and quality in 2004 and 2005 on alfalfa (Medicago sativa) in Richfield, Utah. Amendments were applied in early spring as a spray application mixed with the herbicide hexazinone, to dormant alfalfa. The three treatments consisted of hexazinone alone as the control, hexazinone with 3-18-18 (%nitrogen-%P2O5-%K2O), and hexazinone with a 5-3-3 solution also containing sulfur (2%), humic, fulvic, and kelp extract. Treatments were applied as field strips in a randomized complete block design with four replications. Alfalfa forage was harvested four times during the growing season. During 2004 the soil amendment treatments yielded less than the control when summed over the entire season. However, a slight increased yield response was observed in the fourth harvest for the amendment treatments. Forage yield and quality results from 2004 and 2005 seasons will be presented.

Back to Forages
Back to S04 Soil Fertility & Plant Nutrition

Back to The ASA-CSSA-SSSA International Annual Meetings (November 6-10, 2005)