Tenured Student
Active Member
I am making it a point to educate myself about micro-nutrients and there benefits when properly applied. Who has had experience incorporating them into their food plots?
Micronutrients- who knows what they are doing?
- Thread starter Tenured Student
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dogdoc
Well-Known Member
Not me---I am sure there is some importance to the micro-nutrients but I am just growing some plots for deer so I don't get into that much detail and only requests the basics with soil samples. My wife is currently going to school at OSU for a horticulture degree and she is into the micro nutrients with her plants/soil. Of course she is having to learn the different types of diseases you can see with nutritional deficiencies. It's very interesting as I am helping her study for test with all the functions of the different nutrients and the signs of a certain nutrient is lacking in the soil.
Hopefully Doug and some others with more knowledge will chime in and make this thread a very interesting and educational thread.
todd
Hopefully Doug and some others with more knowledge will chime in and make this thread a very interesting and educational thread.
todd
Tenured Student
Active Member
That's funny right there. My current method as well.I have two methods of dealing with micro-nutrients.
Turkey Creek
Well-Known Member
I am no expert, but I know a whole lot more about them after this summer!! I can tell you a lack of zinc can make apple trees not do what you want them to. GROW! Micronutrients are very important in some circumstances, but most of the time you wont notice a need for them.
I have two methods of dealing with micro-nutrients.
Hah!
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I pay close attention to boron and sulfur because of the very sandy soils in my area. Got that advice from Jerry Lundquist from MSU. Smart guy.
I have seen a very real difference when planting crops with significant sensitivities to those micro-nutrients. Specifically -- alfalfa in regards to both and DER (aka canola) in regards to sulfur.
Adding those in the soil test recommended amounts made a very significant difference.
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I have two methods of dealing with micro-nutrients.
Semisane,
This is similar to the TreeDaddy "glug-glug" method of mixing herbicide......
bill
sagittarius
Active Member
Boron: Solubor is a dry granular product, 20% boron, easily dissolves in water. Very easy to spray down 1/2 or 1 lb boron per acre as needed.
Sulfur: Ammonium sulfate (AMS) is 20% sulfur, which can be sprayed or broadcast. There is also bagged 90% sulfur in a flat granular form that can be easily broadcast.
Sulfur: Ammonium sulfate (AMS) is 20% sulfur, which can be sprayed or broadcast. There is also bagged 90% sulfur in a flat granular form that can be easily broadcast.
Tenured Student
Active Member
A great resource from Dr. Craig Harper on food plotting and soils. See the soil amendment section for Micro-nutrients.
http://trace.tennessee.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1015&context=utk_agexfish
http://trace.tennessee.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1015&context=utk_agexfish
Excellent link. Thank you! Wish I'd had that available when I was starting out in this hobby. Must read for every new food plotter.
Yeah....for about 7 years we applied boiler litter which has appreciable micronutrient content....the grass samples from pastures are still a little low on Zn and Cu. Have applied granubor and sulfate forms of Zn and Cu to plots...those are not quick fixes either. If you have depleted farm ground which has never had micros applied, then it might be worthwhile to apply micros. The best approach IMO....is to use diverse mixed planting and let the taprooted broadleafs and legumes bring micros from subsoil to topsoil. Sulfur?....yes....EVERY time synthetic N is applied half or all of it will be from AMS!
I am no expert but dgallow is. If you can get your soil right, that is clearly the best of all worlds. However, if not, I have taken an idea from dgallows of putting out natural mineral salt which has 60-80 minerals in the right amounts for deer health. It is quick, simple, low cost, and the best solution while waiting for soil improvement and probably a good idea anytime.
