An assessment of the long-term effects of three phosphorus fertiliser regimes on soil phosphorus and sward condition.

Abstract

A grazing trial using beef animals (mean weight 260 kg) was used to determine optimum soil phosphorus levels for dry stock farming. · The trial commenced in 1968. There were three fertiliser P treatments, 0, 15 and 30 kg P/ha applied annually. There were two stocking rates, 3300 and 2400 kg liveweight at turn out, respectively. Animals were rotationally grazed around six paddocks per treatment and stocking rates were reduced in June and September to match feed supply. The trial continued until 1998. ¸ Nitrogen was applied at a rate of 220 kg/ha per year to all treatments. ¹ Liveweight gains/ha/year were monitored annually. Soil P levels were monitored by sampling to 10 cm depth. º The distribution of phosphorus in the soil was recorded by analysing P levels at various depths from 0-2 mm to 100 cm. Botanical composition was recorded at the commencement of the trial and again in 1997. Phosphorus levels in herbage were also recorded. » An analysis of the liveweight gain data showed that for optimum output a Soil Index of 3 (Morgans P between 6.1 and 10.0 mg/l) is the target Soil P Index. ¼ Phosphorus recovery (as expressed by percentage of P fertiliser recovered in product) in the P30 treatments was low and was better in the P15 treatments. ½ The vast bulk of P accumulated near the surface of the soil, but there was some evidence of movement down the profile in the P30 treatment over a 30 year period. The soil P status influenced both the botanical composition of the sward and the P content in the herbage. The perennial ryegrass content declined on the zero P treatment, while there were no significant differences between the P15 and P30 treatments. The P concentration in the herbage in the zero P treatments were not sufficient for healthy growth of plants or animals.