Phosphorus on winter wheat
Winter wheat just can’t do without phosphorus. But too many winter wheat producers attempt to do just that – let the crop get by on whatever phosphorus the soil has to offer.
It’s impossible to tell if soil phosphorus is adequate for wheat without a soil test. Each field is different and each one needs to be soil tested to determine the needs for fertilizer phosphorus. Even different soil types in a field can represent areas with varying fertilizer needs.
About 30 pounds of phosphate are removed from every acre with a 60-bushel wheat crop.
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Too little available phosphorus means plants are stunted, don’t tiller properly, have a poor root system, develop fewer heads, use nitrogen and water inefficiently and in the end, yield poorly.
But grain yield isn’t the only opportunity for profit. If you graze wheat and don’t provide adequate phosphorus for the crop, fall and early spring growth is slow, forage production is severely limited and cattle gains are severely affected.
Texas data shows that providing adequate phosphorus can increase wheat forage production by 1.5 tonnes of dry forage per acre. That’s equivalent to about 300 pounds of extra gain.
– Potash and Phosphate Institute
