Abstract
Soil testing was conducted during 1999–2009 to determine lime and fertiliser phosphorus (P), potassium (K), and sulfur (S) requirements of intensively grazed, rain-fed, ryegrass dairy pastures in 48 paddocks on sand to sandy loam soils in the Mediterranean-type climate of south-western Australia. The study demonstrated that tissue testing was required in conjunction with soil testing to confirm decisions based on soil testing, and to assess management decisions for elements not covered by soil testing. Soil testing for pH was reliable for indicating paddocks requiring lime to ameliorate soil acidity, and to monitor progress of liming. Soil P testing proved reliable for indicating when P fertiliser applications were required, with no P being required when soil-test P was above the critical value for that soil, and when no P was applied, tissue testing indicated that P remained adequate for ryegrass production. Soil testing could not be used to determine paddocks requiring fertiliser K and S, because both elements can leach below the root-zone, with rainfall determining the extent of leaching and magnitude of the decrease in pasture production resulting from deficiency, which cannot be predicted. The solution is to apply fertiliser K and S each year, and use tissue testing to improve fertiliser K and S management. Research has shown that, for dairy and other grazing industries in the region, laboratories need measure and report every year soil pH and soil-test P only, together with measuring every 3–5 years the P-buffering index (estimating P sorption of soil), organic carbon content, and electrical conductivity.
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Claims 10
Claim · model-written summary
Tissue testing was needed with soil testing to confirm nutrient management decisions.
- Outcome
- tissue testing was required in conjunction with soil testinge0
LoliumOrganisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“tissue testing was required in conjunction with soil testing to confirm decisions based on soil testing”
e1“ryegrass dairy pastures”
Claim · model-written summary
Soil pH testing reliably identified paddocks needing lime and monitored liming.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Soil testing for pH was reliable for indicating paddocks requiring lime to ameliorate soil acidity, and to monitor progress of liming”
e1“ryegrass dairy pastures”
Claim · model-written summary
Soil phosphorus testing reliably indicated when phosphorus fertilizer was required.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Soil P testing proved reliable for indicating when P fertiliser applications were required”
e1“ryegrass dairy pastures”
Claim · model-written summary
No phosphorus fertilizer was needed above the soil-specific critical soil-test phosphorus value.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“no P being required when soil-test P was above the critical value for that soil”
e1“ryegrass dairy pastures”
Claim · model-written summary
Plant tissue testing indicated adequate phosphorus for ryegrass production when no phosphorus was applied.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“when no P was applied, tissue testing indicated that P remained adequate for ryegrass production”
Claim · model-written summary
Soil testing could not determine which paddocks required potassium fertilizer.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Soil testing could not be used to determine paddocks requiring fertiliser K and S”
e1“ryegrass dairy pastures”
Claim · model-written summary
Soil testing could not determine which paddocks required sulfur fertilizer.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Soil testing could not be used to determine paddocks requiring fertiliser K and S”
e1“ryegrass dairy pastures”
Claim · model-written summary
Rainfall-dependent potassium and sulfur leaching made deficiency-related pasture production decreases unpredictable.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“both elements can leach below the root-zone, with rainfall determining the extent of leaching and magnitude of the decrease in pasture production resulting from deficiency, which cannot be predicted”
e1“ryegrass dairy pastures”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors recommended annual potassium and sulfur fertilizer and tissue testing to improve their management.
- Outcome
- apply fertiliser K and S each year, and use tissue testinge0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“apply fertiliser K and S each year, and use tissue testing to improve fertiliser K and S management”
e1“ryegrass dairy pastures”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors recommended annual soil pH and soil-test phosphorus reporting, with P-buffering index, organic carbon and conductivity every 3–5 years.
- Outcome
- measure and report every year soil pH and soil-test P onlye0
- Qualifier
- every 3–5 years the P-buffering index (estimating P sorption of soil), organic carbon content, and electrical conductivitye0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“measure and report every year soil pH and soil-test P only, together with measuring every 3–5 years the P-buffering index (estimating P sorption of soil), organic carbon content, and electrical conductivity”
e1“ryegrass dairy pastures”