TY - JOUR
T1 - Soil Fertility Status of Soils in Illinois
AU - Fernández, Fabián G.
AU - Farmaha, Bhupinder S.
AU - Nafziger, Emerson D.
PY - 2012/11
Y1 - 2012/11
N2 - Our objective was to survey the phosphorus (P), potassium (K), pH, calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), and organic-matter (OM) levels of soils in Illinois, including the degree of nutrient vertical stratification. Soil samples were collected from depths of 0-8 and 8-18 cm in 547 randomly chosen fields throughout Illinois and analyzed for nutrients, pH, and OM. Forty-six percent of samples were below the critical range for K (130 to 150 mg K kg-1), and 59% of samples were above the soil P levels, requiring no additional fertilization. Soil pH ranged from 4.7 to 8.1. Mean Ca and Mg levels were nonlimiting for crop production, and OM was correlated (R2 = 0.690) with corn grain yield. Vertical stratification (surface/subsurface ratio) was 2.4:1 for P and 1.5:1 for K. Many fields with greater than needed P levels and less than suggested levels for K present opportunities for improvement in fertilizer management.
AB - Our objective was to survey the phosphorus (P), potassium (K), pH, calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), and organic-matter (OM) levels of soils in Illinois, including the degree of nutrient vertical stratification. Soil samples were collected from depths of 0-8 and 8-18 cm in 547 randomly chosen fields throughout Illinois and analyzed for nutrients, pH, and OM. Forty-six percent of samples were below the critical range for K (130 to 150 mg K kg-1), and 59% of samples were above the soil P levels, requiring no additional fertilization. Soil pH ranged from 4.7 to 8.1. Mean Ca and Mg levels were nonlimiting for crop production, and OM was correlated (R2 = 0.690) with corn grain yield. Vertical stratification (surface/subsurface ratio) was 2.4:1 for P and 1.5:1 for K. Many fields with greater than needed P levels and less than suggested levels for K present opportunities for improvement in fertilizer management.
KW - Fertilizer rates
KW - nutrient stratification
KW - soil fertility
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U2 - 10.1080/00103624.2012.728268
DO - 10.1080/00103624.2012.728268
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84862009719
SN - 0010-3624
VL - 43
SP - 2897
EP - 2914
JO - Communications in Soil Science and Plant Analysis
JF - Communications in Soil Science and Plant Analysis
IS - 22
ER -