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Perennial Peanut Hay Problems Solved in North
Florida
Charles "Pete" Collins
of Live Oak, in North Central Florida was concerned
about his perennial peanut hay. Pete's 2005 production was only about thirty-five
50 pound bales per acre, whereas, eight years earlier, it had been about two
hundred bales. Pete had been asking the local established experts for help and
was told to just add higher levels of potash fertilizer and trace elements to
each acre. Their standard recommendation for limestone was one ton of dolomite
lime and one ton of gypsum per acre per year. Following their recommendations,
Pete's crop continued to degrade.
Through his own study and information about the
Growers Program, Pete found a source of high calcium
material (33.7% calcium and 0.87% magnesium) and
began applying it in the fall of 2005. In 2006
on fields where Pete applied between 15 to 17 tons
per acre of the calcium material, he also used
about 6 gallons of GMS per acre instead of conventional
dry fertilizer.
When we visited Pete in April of 2007, after
about 18 months on the Growers Program, we found
him well pleased. In walking over his fields, we
found his perennial peanut hay roots are pushing
down into the soil profile 24 inches. This is significantly
deeper than the 4 to 6 inch root depth he had at
the beginning of the 2006 season. We also found
each plant root had increased its number of nodules
tremendously. Pete claims all symptoms of herbicide
injury, disease, and mineral and nutrient deficiency
have disappeared from his perennial peanut hay.
Pete feels the Growers Program has improved production,
and it comes with a very significant cost savings.
He says his total cost of purchased lime and GMS
for the 2006 season was less than one season's
dry fertilizer he bought previously.
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