Need to fertilize

[Egbert]

I could see a downturn in my hay quality this year. The pastures have not been fertilized in at least 10 years, so I thought I'd give it a go in the spring. I've not had the soil analyzed as yet, so the exact mix is still an unknown. I have access to a 500 gallon pto sprayer, so that will be my application method.

My questions are:

Where do you buy/order your fertilizer in quantities for a farm? I have 110 acres, with 88 in hay pasture.
Will I need to sell a kidney to pay for the chemicals?

 

[StanR]

First is get the soil test.

You need to get the PH in the correct range first.

I use dry fertilizer from the local feed store.

They either spread of I rent the spreader from them.

Lime to get the PH in the correct range can be expensive.

 

[Smallplot]

Is this grass hay or alfalfa hay?

Get soil test ASAP and add lime and P & K this fall. Don't wait until next spring . Use the winter to get the nutrients down into the soil where they will be useful at green up in the spring. If grass hay and you feel N is needed, apply the N in the spring right before a good rain.

Most coops that sell Ag Fertilizer will also be able to send off soil samples. They have crop specialist who can help with the mix to meet local conditions and soil types with the best product for your area.

Forget applying liquid fertilizer. Most are starter types containing a high N value. Use dry fertilizer for better P and K values. If the hay is alfalfa test for micro-nutrients as well.

 

[Egbert]

The hay is a mix of bermuda and tall fescue.

The Oklahoma Extension office is nearby and they will do my soil testing whenever I can get the samples to them.

I hadn't considered doing anything this fall but I guess I need to get moving on this, just in case I need more than the nitrogen.

One of the reasons, the main reason, I opt for spray is the ease of process and the large coverage per load. I don't currently own a 3pt dry spreader and it looks to me like they have to be refilled frequently to cover large acreage.

 

[Ed of all trades]

The co-op here will loan out a small pull behind trailer spreader if you buy from them. You would need a truck to get it to the farm and a tractor to pull it. (I don't know haw big a dk 50 se is) Bulk is cheaper than bagged.

 

[rustyshakelford]

Not to hijack, but what is the best method to apply lime?

Brett

 

[cowski]

get the coop to spread it,most fertlizer spreaders won't spread lime.your going to need a lot of potash to keep bermuda going.any chicken houses near buy?

 

[Gary Fowler]

Last time I was at my co-op and looked at the board for fertilizer, I think they wanted about $650 per ton. 300 -400# per acre would be a minimum I would think that your soil analysis will come up with if it has been 10 years since last fertilization. Lime is likely needed also and without it, your fertilizer isn't going to do as much good.
I would bet that proper fertilization is going to cost close to $100 per acre and lime at least $50 per acre minimum. Most co-ops will furnish a spreader for each of these for free if you buy from them. Cost to fertilize and lime has gotten outrageously priced in the last 5 years.

 

[Mud Mechanik]

I agree with the other replies about costs of doing it properly...but the yeild will thank you as well as your livestock. You will certainly be better off with a spreader buggy or getting a coop to spread it, fertilizing and liming 88 acres with a 3 ph spreader would be a lot of effort and not as accurate on spread rates.

 

[Deerherd]

Here's some very good info on Bermuda grass in your state: http://npk.okstate.edu/documentation/factsheets/PSS-2263web1.pdf

The quickest and easiest way to spread lime is to hire the guy with the spreader truck. It's a whole lot cheaper too if you don't already own the equipment. Remember, depending on the micron size it can take from 1-4 years to work. Liming materials differ widely in their neutralizing powers due to variations in the percentage of calcium and/or magnesium. Usually, liming materials with a high calcium carbonate equivalent (CCE) tend to neutralize soil acidity faster than those with a low CCE. The coarseness of the liming material will also influence how fast the lime will react. In other words, the finer the liming material, the greater the surface area, resulting in faster reactivity.

Lime applied on the soil surface does not react as fast as lime incorporated by tillage, but what other option is there in perennial pasture systems?

Surface-applied lime moves into the soil at a slow rate. It is similar to non-mobile nutrients in its movement in the soil. However, there are a few crops that have roots that feed close to the soil surface, such as bermudagrass and alfalfa. It has been documented that correcting pH in the top two to three inches of the soil has a positive effect on forage production. Even though it is best to incorporate lime whenever possible, it is still important to surface-apply lime to correct the soil acidity problem in established pastureland and no-till cropping systems.

A soil with a low CEC does not require a lot of lime to correct soil pH, but may need to be limed frequently. A soil with a high CEC requires a large amount of lime to initially correct pH, but it may be several years before another lime application is needed due to its high buffering capacity. The level of production also dictates how often lime will be needed. As fertilizer is applied to enhance forage or crop production, the removal of essential plant nutrients from the soil also increases. As a result, lime may be needed more frequently to replenish removed nutrients. For example, the rate of nutrient removal from a pasture being hayed is much greater than a pasture being grazed. Therefore, the hay field may need to be limed more often.