Growing species with low potassium requirements
1. Presentation
Characterization of the technique
Description of the technique:
| François Dumoulin | CA 60 | francois.dumoulin(at)agri60.fr | Fresnoy le Luat (60) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rémy Ballot | INRA | remy.ballot(at)grignon.inra.fr | Grignon (78) |
Spam control: To use these addresses, replace (at) with @
Maximize the share in the rotation of crops with low potassium requirements (wheat, barley, flax, corn... medium rapeseed, sunflower, legumes…) compared to crops with high requirements (beet, potato...). The phospho-potassic fertilization reasoning method established by COMIFER defines as low-demand crops those whose yield losses in case of potassium deficiency do not exceed 5%. This method recommends skipping potassium fertilization for low-demand crops at lower soil potassium contents than for medium-demand crops. For high-demand crops (whose yield losses exceed 30% in case of deficiency), skipping is never recommended.
Example of implementation:
Some producers took the opportunity to stop growing beets but primarily based on economic and organizational reasoning.
Implementation period On established crop
Spatial scale of implementation Farm
Application of the technique to...
All crops: Easily generalizable
All soil types: Easily generalizable
All climatic contexts: Easily generalizable
Regulation
2. Services provided by the technique
3. Effects on the sustainability of the cropping system
"Environmental" criteria
Effect on air quality: Increasing
pesticide emissions: NEUTRAL
GHG emissions: DECREASE
Effect on fossil resource consumption: Decreasing
fossil energy consumption: DECREASE
Other: No effect (neutral)
Air: Maximizing the share of crops with low potassium requirements in the rotation reduces the amount of potassium fertilizer applied, thus reducing greenhouse gas emissions related to their manufacture, transport…
Fossil energy: Maximizing the share of crops with low potassium requirements in the rotation reduces the amount of potassium fertilizer applied, thus reducing energy consumption related to their manufacture, transport…
"Agronomic" criteria
Productivity: No effect (neutral)
Soil fertility: No effect (neutral)
Water stress: No effect (neutral)
Biodiversity functional: No effect (neutral)
"Economic" criteria
Operating costs: Decreasing
Maximizing the share of crops with low potassium requirements in the rotation reduces the amount of potassium fertilizer applied, thus reducing fertilization costs.
Mechanization costs: No effect (neutral)
Margin: Decreasing
High-demand crops are often the most profitable in cropping systems where they are present and often correspond to a strategic economic orientation of the farm.
Other economic criteria: No effect (neutral)
Fuel consumption: no effect (neutral)
Maximizing the share of crops with low potassium requirements in the rotation reduces the frequency of potassium fertilizer application, thus reducing fuel consumption related to spreading, which can be considered negligible.
"Social" criteria
Working time: No effect (neutral)
Maximizing the share of crops with low potassium requirements in the rotation reduces the frequency of potassium fertilizer application, thus reducing the workload related to spreading, which can be considered negligible.
Observation time: Increasing
Implementing a reasoned potassium fertilization taking into account (1) crop requirements, (2) past fertilization practices, (3) residue management practices and especially (4) the potassium content of the plot requires regular soil analyses (every 4-6 years minimum).
4. Organisms favored or disadvantaged
Favored Bioagressors
| Organism | Impact of the technique | Type | Details |
|---|
Disadvantaged Bioagressors
| Organism | Impact of the technique | Type | Details |
|---|
Favored Auxiliaries
| Organism | Impact of the technique | Type | Details |
|---|
Disadvantaged Auxiliaries
| Organism | Impact of the technique | Type | Details |
|---|
Favored climatic and physiological accidents
| Organism | Impact of the technique | Details |
|---|
Disadvantaged climatic and physiological accidents
| Organism | Impact of the technique | Details |
|---|
5. For further information
- The basics of reasoning: 4 criteria to decide
- -Le Souder C. (Arvalis)
Perspectives agricoles n°292, p32-34, Press article, 2003
- PK fertilization reasoning: Pushing practice to the limits
- -Le Souder C., Castillon P. (Arvalis)
Perspectives agricoles n°354, p44-46, Press article, 2009
- Contents in P, K and Mg of harvested plant organs
- -COMIFER
Technical brochure, 2009
6. Keywords
Bioagressor control method:
Mode of action:
Type of strategy regarding pesticide use:
