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Calcimator

Mycorrhizal Inoculant Calculator

Calculate mycorrhizal inoculant dosing rates, costs, and expected colonization effectiveness based on soil conditions and application method.

Inputs

Results

Application rate (lbs/acre)

3.6

Total inoculant needed (lbs)18
Total cost ($)$450.00
Cost per acre ($)$90.00
Colonization potential (%)80
P uptake improvement (%)35
Net cost after P savings ($/acre)$83.00
How to Use This Calculator
  1. Enter Application method (1-3), Field size (acres), and Row spacing (inches).
  2. Set Inoculant cost ($/lb), Soil phosphorus (ppm), and Tillage system (1-3).
  3. Review the Application rate (lbs/acre) result.
  4. Use Total inoculant needed (lbs) and Total cost ($) ($) to inform your decision.

What each input means

Application method (1-3)
1 = Broadcast, 2 = In-furrow/transplant, 3 = Seed treatment.
Field size (acres)
Total acreage to be inoculated.
Row spacing (inches)
Row spacing for in-furrow application. Ignored for broadcast/seed treatment.
Inoculant cost ($/lb)
Cost per pound of commercial mycorrhizal inoculant.
Soil phosphorus (ppm)
Bray P test result. High P (>50 ppm) suppresses mycorrhizal colonization.
Tillage system (1-3)
1 = Conventional till, 2 = Reduced/strip-till, 3 = No-till.

What each result means

Application rate (lbs/acre)
Adjusted inoculant rate accounting for soil P and tillage.
Total inoculant needed (lbs)
Total pounds of inoculant to purchase.
Total cost ($)
Total inoculant material cost.
Cost per acre ($)
Inoculant cost per acre.
Colonization potential (%)
Estimated root colonization success rate based on soil conditions.
P uptake improvement (%)
Estimated increase in phosphorus uptake from mycorrhizal symbiosis.
Net cost after P savings ($/acre)
Net cost per acre after subtracting estimated phosphorus fertilizer savings.

How this is calculated

Worked example, using the default values

  1. Identify Input Parameters
    4 parameters
    Application method (1-3) = 1, Field size (acres) = 5, Row spacing (inches) = 30, Inoculant cost ($/lb) = 25 = 6 input(s) provided
  2. Calculate Application rate
    Application rate = baseLbsPerAcre * pAdjustment * tillageMultiplier
    3.6 = 3.6
  3. Calculate Total inoculant needed
    Total inoculant needed = adjustedLbsPerAcre * acres
    18 = 18
  4. Calculate Total cost
    Total cost = totalLbs * inoculantCostPerLb
    450 = $450

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