how do I figure my fertilizer needs?

[jimg]

>>Now if I could just get my kid motivated to help pick up bales.
Get yer work clothes on, its time to pick up bales!! Works around my place at any rate.

>>If this teff hay comes in like I'm expecting well be close to 4000 bales a
>>month here on just 23 acres.
Would really like to hear your report. Im just about to drill Teff into my back field which was burned down this AM. Im also hoping itll be a big producer. How long ago did you plant and what have you done to this point (fertilizer etc)?

 

[WTA]

I haven't done anything with planting yet. In fact I may have messed my self up because I got scared about spraying out the weeds that suddenly came up in the fields I wanted to plant and disced it real good yesterday. I was going to go back out today with a harrow and a roller behind me to compact it as best I can. I don't like running a drill in loose dirt like that. Too many of the seeds go too deep then.

I still don't have my drill yet either. I ordered it from my dealer here about a month ago and last word I got is they have painted it and its ready to deliver as soon as it dries. That was on monday, 3 days ago. I've never used any paint that wasn't ready to go in that much time before. I wish they would hurry up.

I've got enough fertilizer to put out 60 pounds an acre right now but I think I'm going to split it up in 2 or 3 different applications and try to time it right before I am sure it's going to rain. I would have put it in before discing but my wife took off with my truck and the fertilizer was all in the back of it so she messed my timing all up.

It's pretty windy out right now but I think I better get and go smooth out that ground while I can.

 

[jimg]

In my reading about Teff it was recommended to plant no deeper than 1/8" but I think most sources feel broadcasting followed by a cultipacker is just as good. (A broadcast spreader & cultipacker can be had for much less than a NT drill.) The common thread is too deep and no crop. Also a seed bed that wasnt good and firm was another big problem.

Is your seed coated? What I got was and I think thatll make it much easy to plant. Uncoated seed is on the order of Timothy and perhaps smaller.

Another point thats really important and will determine what seeding rate to use is viability. What does the label on your seed say about germination rate/live seed %/viability? Mine is 85% but I talked w/ a guy last week who had a variety that was 75%. I thought that was really low!! He seeded at 8#/ac and got a very poor stand. Im sure that could be due to factors other than viability but its something to be considered if you need a certain rate for a good stand. In comparison my OG seed is 98% viable....big diff.

I can rent a NT drill from my coop so the choice is easy for me. Sadly none have a fertilizer box which I think would be really handy. So, Im planning to put down 30#N/ac a week after emergence and 30# after each cut. All the material Ive read says too much N and Teff lodges badly. I think they never recommend more than 30#N/ac exc initially.

ETA: I know a couple guys here who are experimenting w/ Teff and it was brought up at Field Day (last week). It seems no one at the Extension office or university knows much about it. The prof giving the hay/pasture management seminar was going to do some variety experiments this summer. So, Im pretty much on my own this time around. Is this the case in TX?

 

[WTA]

They recommended 12 pounds an acre f seed for me since this field is dryland and 60 pounds initial dose of fertilizer followed by 60 after each cutting. Our dirt sucks here. I bought enough seed to drill a much higher rate though. I'm doing about 21 pounds an acre. I talked to a couple people who grew it last year in NM and they both planted at the higher rate like me and had more than 4 ton an acre yields on dryland. I hope it works for me too.

 

[jimg]

Wow, I think these diffs have a lot to do w/ how little practical knowledge is known about Teff. I was told that 60# N/ac at planting was good but never more than 30# after each cut b/c of lodging concerns. Also theres the danger of elevated levels of nitrates in the hay (in the event theres not enough rain).

My seed dealer said I shouldnt plant at a rate more than 10#/ac b/c Teff doesnt like competition. Just offered that for what it is.

LOL...this is why Id like to keep tabs on what youre doing and how its going. Ill check in regularly as well. In the end I think its all going to boil down to rain though. Once we figure out what works then we'll know and that will be valuable data.