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Phosphorus Fertilization of Alfalfa
Preliminary studies by the NDSU Departments of Soils and Extension Service field demonstrations indicate that alfalfa stands will respond to phosphorus fertilization when the `P' level of the soil as indicated by a soil test is medium or less. A dryland alfalfa fertilization study in McHenry County by the NDSU Soils Department showed a marked response to phosphorus on a soil testing 4 pounds `P' per acre. They obtained 4.0 to 4.5 tons of dry matter/acre when 50 pounds of P205 were applied/acre compared to about 2.0 tons without phosphorus fertilization.
Extension Service field demonstrations show similar results on grass-alfalfa mixtures. A fertilizer demonstration in Morton County on a grass-alfalfa stand with soil testing 2 pounds of `P' per acre showed a 5 year average dry matter yield of about 1.1 tons without fertilization and 2.3 tons when 40 pounds of P2O5 were applied. Phosphorus fertilization appeared to increase the percentage of alfalfa in the stand. An application of 30 pounds of nitrogen and 40 pounds of P2O5 increased yields to 2.7 tons of dry matter/acre and maintained the stand of alfalfa.
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