![]() If you currently produce enough forage to meet your grazing and/or hay needs, then additional N is probably not necessary. The first question to consider is if N fertilization is necessary. ![]() This paper will address these questions to help you determine how N fertility may fit on your farm. When considering N fertilization on grass pastures, decisions need to made regarding if, when, where, the source, and how much N to use. The lush, dark green growth that surrounds dung piles in many pastures is an indication of N deficiency. ![]() It can be seen as you drive down the highway at 70 mph. Nitrogen deficiency in pastures is common. There is not much we can do about the weather however, we can manage N to improve productivity on pastures. This allows clover plants to fill in bare spots and improves forage quality and yield.In most grasslands, the two factors that most limit growth are moisture (rain) and N. The use of frost seeding is a simple technique of broadcasting seed between mid-February and early March when the ground is still going through periodic freeze/thaw cycles. ![]() This is an excellent way to economically increase production of grass pastures. Legumes, like red and ladino white clovers, have the ability to fix nitrogen from the air and convert it into a mineral form usable by for plants. The best management practice to improve nitrogen levels in pastures is to interseed legumes. A split application can maximize overall forage production, and is recommended for hayfields and for pastures when animals unit per acre are high. Timely application will result in less loss due to leaching or denitrification. Ample precipitation and/or soil moisture along with cooler temperatures provide plants the best chance to respond. Mid-summer N applications are never recommended for cool-season grasses since they typically do not respond and summer weeds are stimulated.įor grass hayfields, apply N when plants are in an active growth phase and will uptake the most N. Most grass pastures only require late summer applications because extra N in the spring often produces more growth than livestock can consume. Fields that receive high levels of nitrogen also tend to become acidic and require more frequent applications of lime.įor cool season grass pastures, research shows that split applications of fertilizers generally maximize yields when N is applied in the late summer, early spring and occasionally in the late spring. This leaves grass pastures and hay fields deficient towards the middle through end of the growing season. Additionally, applying a high rate of N in one application provides more N than a grass crop can use at one time. Usually a majority of the nitrogen applied as a part of commercial fertilizer is gone in 60 days. Agriculture dealers will always make custom blends depending on your needs.Īlthough P, K and lime can be added anytime, nitrogen fertilizer should be applied when pastures or hayfields will have the best opportunity to have a yield response. After soil testing match the recommended nutrients needed to the N-P-K ratio in your fertilizer. One hundred pounds of 19-19-19 contains 19 % nitrogen, 19 % phosphorus and 19 % potassium or 19 lbs. Hayfields need to be checked more frequently since large amounts of nutrients are removed in hay.įertilizers are sold based on the percent nitrogen (N), phosphate (P) and potash (K) they contain. Producers should take soil samples once per year from hayfields and every 3 years from their pastures. The only true way to know what you need to apply is to determine what nutrients are available in the soil and what nutrients the forage you are growing requires. Then nutrient management decisions are based on these test results. ![]() Soil testing is the first step to knowing how to manage the fertility of your pastures and hayfields. Most importantly, nutrients are supplied to plants through the application of commercial fertilizer and lime. These nutrients are derived from several sources including residual nutrients in the soil, the breakdown of manure and soil organic matter, and nitrogen produced by N-fixation in legumes. Pastures require nutrients to reach peak productivity. Many producers have already started planning pasture and hayfield fertilization. ![]()
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