Details for Managing Phosphorus Deficiency in Row Crops: Strategies for Low-Tech Environments

A starter would allow you better crop growth during cool springs or in cold soils like heavy residues. But it’s nothing more than that, it gets the crop up and going…a starter. Phosphate wise, if you can’t band on the planter but you want to cover P needs to improve yields I’d be using the grain drill to apply P in fall before corn OR if you don’t want an extra pass, start bumping your rates up in wheat to supply P needs past what the wheat will use and would be there for corn the following year.

There are options to get set up for row place liquid starter For around $500 a row. What you could save and applying dry broadcast could cover the cost in a few years. Sometimes over applying dry products can actually decrease availability to the plant depending on things like salt Contin and pH. Taking a fully end depth soil test is critical for success!

I agree with Reece. Get a total soil assessment. You would be surprised how much is already in your soil. Then you can work on making it available instead of buying it. I’m in NE South Dakota and I use Regen Ag Lab in Pleasanton Ne. They are great to work with and can advise you.

Dr Below’s work at university of Illinois says since phosphorous is so immobile that applications greater than 4 inches from the plant 🌱 are strictly helping the soil bank so realistically you’re only getting a return on this years crop of less then 30% if corn 🌽 is in 30 inch rows and phosphorus is incorporated in top 4 inches.

I would take a complete soil assessment finding total nutrients in soil (similar to a mining assay) to see if you need more fertilizer. Then use phosphorus solubilizing microbes in furrow or broadcast to get availability up. Most soils have plenty of nutrients but they are tied up. Crop rotation and soil biology can really help with p availability. We haven’t applied commercial p or k for about 10 years with this method. Profitability goes up substantially without these costly applications

I always start these types of discussions by a question about land ownership. If you owned the land, broadcasting, Phosphate will eventually build up the levels, and in the long run is a good thing. If you're renting, however, and you don't have a long-term lease, you'd be putting money into the bank for somebody else potentially. The other questions are related to pH, what are the background levels of phosphate in the soil, is your competition from tie up due to high calcium or aluminum levels? There's quite a bit to consider and this is one of those situations where you might want to reach out to one of the experts in Fertilizer on this platform.