9905: Phosphorus Management on ‘Extensive' Organic Farms with Infertile Soils
(2007) Phosphorus Management on ‘Extensive' Organic Farms with Infertile Soils . Paper presented at 3rd QLIF Congress: Improving Sustainability in Organic and Low Input Food Production Systems, University of Hohenheim, Germany, March 20-23, 2007.
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Summary
Two case-study farms with negative P balances maintained acceptable productivity without fertilisers, apparently by ‘mining’ ‘available’ P reserves in surface and subsoil. The question for these organic farms is ‘how long before fertiliser is needed?’ With six farms on lower-fertility, weakly acidic to alkaline soils and modest rainfall (380-580 mm/yr), low productivity was related to P deficiency despite positive P balances from using allowable fertilisers. Useful supplies of compost or manure were unavailable. Until effective allowable fertilisers or microbial inoculants have been developed, there is a case for using soluble forms of P fertiliser on soils where soil-solution P is low and soil P-sorption is high, so that additions of soluble P ‘feed the soil, not the plant’.
| Document Language: | English |
|---|---|
| Keywords: | phosphorus, Australia, soil fertility, grain, grazing |
| Subject Areas: | Soil > Nutrient turnover Farming Systems > Farm nutrient management |
| Research affiliation: | International Conferences > QLIF Congress 2007 > 3 Crop production / soil management |
| Total budget (Euro): | 0 |
| Orgprints ID Number: | 9905 |
| Contact: | Cornish, Prof Peter S |
| Deposited On: | 06 March 2007 |
| EPrint Type: | Conference paper |
| Published?: | Published |
| Type of presentation: | Paper |
| Peer Review Status: | Not peer-reviewed |
| Additional Publishing Information: | The final version of this paper is published in: Niggli, Urs; Leifert, Carlo; Alföldi, Thomas; Lück, Lorna and Willer, Helga, Eds. (2007) Improving Sustainability in Organic and Low Input Food Production Systems. Proceedings of the 3rd International Congress of the European Integrated Project Quality Low Input Food (QLIF). University of Hohenheim, Germany, March 20 – 23, 2007. Research Institute of Organic Agriculture FiBL, CH-Frick.http://orgprints.org/10417/ Printed copies may be ordered from the FiBL Shop at www.shop.fibl.org. |
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