By W. Carroll Johnson, III, PhD. – Agronomist and Weed Scientist
To a food plotter, the definition of frustration is looking at a subpar plot, even though you spent time, money, blood, sweat and tears doing everything “right,” according to the experts.
In reality, many factors influence the success
of growing crops, which occurs in the real world, not a testing laboratory.
Soil pH is a critical factor that can differentiate a great plot from a so-so
plot. You’re probably saying, “Yes, I know; lime, lime, lime, right?” Yes, if
your soil is acidic, as plotters commonly use lime to neutralize the soil. But
is lime always the answer?
Managing soil acidity remains a challenge for Whitetail Institute customers. Acidic soils inhibit crop growth by reducing the availability of essential elements (nutrient starvation) and increasing the availability of aluminum to toxic levels (poisoning). Acidic soils are buffered by soil amendments based on carbonates, oxides, hydroxides or silicates that chemically neutralize acidity. Those compounds are usually combined calcium, magnesium or potassium. Although those are essential elements for plant growth, their role in correcting soil acidity is as a carrier of the compounds that chemically buffer (carbonates, oxides, hydroxides and silicates). Limestone is a carbonate and is present as calcium carbonate, magnesium carbonate or a blend of both. Limestone occurs naturally, which makes this material cost-effective and commonly used to neutralize acidic soils. Conventional agriculture depends heavily on limestone to manage soil acidity.
Although limestone is the preferred and standard material to neutralize soil acidity, the large volume (tons per acre) of bulk limestone needed to neutralize soil acidity presents a logistical challenge. Limestone is not readily available in some locations because of the absence of large-scale commercial agriculture in those regions. Additionally, access to leased property quickly changes. Food plot locations might also be remote and inaccessible by large agricultural equipment, preventing you from fully achieving return on the investment when used at a short-term hunting property. Essentially, this is because lime neutralizes soil based on physical contact, and it takes time — months if not longer — for lime to fully integrate into the soil. Therefore, an alternative to bulk limestone would serve customers who manage food plots at remote sites or have short-term access to a hunting property. Impact is a new sprayable soil neutralizing treatment for specialized circumstances, such as those mentioned, in which you need quick neutralization or can’t get large equipment to a targeted plot.
As a sprayable material, Impact solves logistical problems at food plot sites that are inaccessible or when limestone is not available. Because Impact is sprayable, you can easily transport it on a UTV or via a handtype plot sprayer to remote sites. In addition, Impact is quick acting, and forages immediately respond to the buffering and starter fertilizer qualities of the product. In short, problem solved. “This product is revolutionary in many situations,” said William Cousins, general manager of the Whitetail Institute. “You can have great food plots your first year. For example, it’s fantastic for those areas that you just can’t logistically get bulk lime to the food plot location but want to have a top-notch food plot. Even in situations where the soil is acidic and you were unable to lime well in advance of planting, Impact will bridge the gap until the lime you did apply has time to take effect. This is a real game changer.” The active ingredient in Impact is K2O, an oxide that chemically neutralizes acidic soils. The chemical reaction of the oxide component is quick and typically sufficient for one season, especially when annual forages are planted. Being sprayable, Impact has undeniable convenience.
Impact is water-soluble and readily enters solution in a spray tank. Another benefit of Impact is the starter- fertilizer aspect of the compound. The formulated product contains nitrogen (in the form of urea) and potassium. Both are essential plant elements and are readily available to forage crops. To demonstrate the benefits of Impact, the Whitetail Institute chose a site in Upson County, Georgia, and used Impact in the establishment of the cool-season annual mix Imperial No-Plow. The property is in the piedmont of Georgia, where the soil is fine-textured clay. The site was previously in bahiagrass, without any recent liming or fertilization. Access to the site was a steep, narrow logging road. Pre-plant soil testing indicated the soil to be highly acidic and deficient in all essential elements. The food plot was about 0.8 acre and divided into three strips with different pre-plant treatments; Impact (25 pounds per acre, mixed with water and sprayed), pelleted dolomitic limestone (1,000 pounds per acre) and nontreated. The site was fertilized with 10-10-10 at 600 pounds per acre. After fertilization and treatment with the soil amendments, the food plot was harrowed and then seeded with No-Plow. Three weeks after planting, soil samples were collected and analyzed, and these are the resulting data: Compared to the nontreated plot, with a soil pH of 5.5, the pH of soil treated with Impact was raised to 5.8.
When compared to pelleted dolomitic limestone (pH 5.7), Impact was slightly more effective in buffering the acidic soil. When you remember the additional application challenge of 1,000 pounds of pelletized lime versus simply spraying Impact, the benefit of even .1 increase in pH is significant. Additionally, Impact-treated soils had significantly higher amounts of potassium than soils treated with pelleted limestone or those that were not treated. Additional trials were conducted with Impact in southern Georgia on a food plot planted with Imperial Oats Plus. Forage quality analysis was conducted four months after seeding Oats Plus. Impact at 12.5- and 25-pounds rates per acre improved the relative forage quality and crude protein in forage oats compared to the nontreated plots. Similarly, Imperial Oats Plus grown where Impact was sprayed at both rates had similar forage quality measurements compared to plots treated with bulk limestone.
Dry-matter yields of Oats Plus were improved by Impact applied at 12.5 and 25 pounds per acre compared to the nontreated plots. Across all parameters measured, those data indicate Impact improves forage yield and quality over nontreated soils. Impact is simple to use and versatile. It can be sprayed before seeding or on emerged forages, up to two applications per year, which might be necessary if soils are highly acidic. The water solubility of Impact might cause shorter-term benefits if rainfall is excessive after application or if applied to coarse-textured soils (sands) that are prone to leaching. In contrast, experience has shown that the benefits of Impact are sustained for a longer period on fine textured soils (loams, clay) compared to coarse-textured sandy soils. Multiple applications of Impact might compensate for leaching conditions. In summary, soil pH is critical for food plot success, and although limestone application remains a recommended practice, there are situations in which it might not be the best option. Impact is a sprayable soil amendment — an alternative well suited for sites where limestone applications are not feasible or when quick buffering of acidic soils is needed. “As a sprayable material, Impact offers many logistical advantages,” Cousins said. “Impact improves forage growth and quality and results in a more productive and attractive food plot, improving your deer management and hunting experience. We at the Whitetail Institute think Impact is a game-changer. Food plotters no longer have to suffer through inferior plots while their soil slowly improves from liming or if liming is not an option. Using Impact allows our customers to have quality food plots each season.”
