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Re: Help please! Info needed re fertilizer, prairie plantings

Cindy & list

You might find more information about fertilization and establishment of native grass /
forb mixes by contacting the Iowa IRVM folks (Integrated Roadside Roadside Management) at
Univ. Northern Ia, Iowa DOT, your county IRVM manager (most are with Secondary Road
departments, some are with County Conservation Boards, some counties still have none), or
IRVM programs in adjacent states (I believe, but am not sure, that at least Minnesota has
an IRVM program).  I know that the county-level IRVM managers do a great deal of planting
each year.  I can't tell you the acreage replanted each year for Johnson County Ia, but,
our IRVM manager deals with >5 acres of roadside per mile of road; taking the >900 miles
of county road into account that means that he is responsible for >4,800 acres of
vegetated roadside (this excludes traveled portion!).  A substantial part of this is
disturbed each year and as much as is practicable is replanted to native species mixes --
I would guess in excess of 50 acres each year.  FYI - the IRVM native seed mixes used in
Johnson County Ia are as diverse or more so than the minimum standard required for the CRP
CP-25 practice.

Iowa IRVM contacts at UNI would be Kirk Henderson (I think he still is involved) and Greg
Houseal (Greg's e-mail I grabbed off of an INPS post and should be
<houseal@iceman.uni.edu>).  If they don't have fertilization recommendations in hand, I
would expect them to be able to refer you to someone who would.

Sandy Rhodes
Iowa City Ia

Grantridge@aol.com wrote:

> The Iowa NRCS is proposing to require that Iowa landowners apply fertilizer
> and lime, according to a current soil test, on many plantings of native
> grasses and/or native grasses and forbs.   The plantings that would require
> soil tests and fertilizer/lime applications would be those plantings being
> established on land that had not been rowcropped for several years and did
> not have a history of regular fertilizer applications.
>
> Phosphorus and potassium would be required "according to soil test
> recommendations for warm season grass pasture and hay."  Nitrogen would be
> required only in association with phosphorus.
>
> The proposal is now on hold while the NRCS is shown established prairie
> plantings where fertilizer and lime were not used.
>
> Several Iowa prairie people have pointed out that their plantings were quite
> successful without any fertilizer or lime, including plantings done on both
> rich and poor soils that had not been rowcropped or fertilized for years.
> But what we need is specific information and evidence to present to the Iowa
> NRCS office by October 7th.   (Stating that "fertilizer isn't needed on
> prairie plantings," however accurate, won't be sufficient.)
>
> I apologize for having to make this request on short notice, at a time of
> year when most of us are very busy.  But if you can suggest literature
> references, or describe examples of relevant plantings, or provide other
> relevant information, that would be much appreciated.   Please send the
> information in such a way that it can be compiled and presented directly to
> the Iowa NRCS office with your name attached, without having to be edited or
> interpreted.   (But of course formal eloquence is not required!)   To the
> extent possible, reference suggestions will be followed up.
>
> Thanks very much!
>
> Cindy Hildebrand
> grantridge@aol.com
> 57439 250th St.
> Ames, IA  50010
> 515-232-3807
>
> "...As far as I could see, the land billowed like a russet ocean, with
> scarcely a roof to fleck its lonely spread.   I cannot say that I liked or
> disliked it.   I merely marvelled at it... "   (Hamlin Garland)
>
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