See more from this Session: Phosphorus and Potassium Management: I
Wood ash is commonly applied to pastures in Northeastern California, but evidence of comparative effects to commercial fertilizer is scant. The effects of P fertilizer and wood ash upon total forage yield, P, Zn, and Cu uptake, and forage quality were tested on a native irrigated pasture (grass/clover) site in Eastern Shasta County CA on a Lava Flow-Lithic Xerochrepts complex soil with a low P soil (8 ppm Olson, pH 6.3). �Treatments of a common P fertilizer rate (105 lb/A P2O5), a comparable P2O5 equivalent with wood ash (3.6 tons/A @ 20% moisture wood ash) and the standard rate recommended by UC Publication 21573 �Agricultural Use of Wood Ash in California� (20 tons/A @ 20% moisture on p 4) were applied to individual plots (6.1 m2) in three replicated blocks on February 23, 2010.� Supplemental urea was used to equilibrate all treatments to the N rate of the commercial P fertilizer treatment (11-52-0).�� Plant height was recorded monthly (April-November).�� Monthly forage yield was measured by clipping 1 m2 samples.� At the end of the season soil samples were collected and analyzed for Olsen P.� Season long yield samples were pooled by replicate and analyzed for ADF, crude protein, phosphate phosphorous (PO4-P), zinc and copper.
See more from this Session: Phosphorus and Potassium Management: I