Page 20—Foraging Around, Lancaster Farming, Saturday, April 22, 2000 REDUCING THE POTASSIUM CONTENT OF FORAGES THROUGH FORAGE MANAGEMENT Dr. Marvin H. Hall Penn State Forage Specialist In recent years, potassium (K) content of forages has become a major concern on dairy farms because it plays a major role in cation balance of the feed ration which is a con tributing factor for milk fever. Increasing K level in the soil, because of current manure management strategies and excessive K fertilization, has resulted in relatively high K levels in many of our forages. High K content of forages increases the difficulty in bal ancing the ration with respect to divalent cations such as magnesium and calcium. However, there are a few man agement practices that can be implemented to reduce forage K content and minimize the potential problems before it occurs. • Apply manure or potassi um-containing fertilizers only where they are recommended through soil testing. When soil potassium exceeds recom mended levels, it accumulates in forage plants without a con current increase in forage yield. This situation results in Put the performance of a winning pair on your side with the all-new Suzuki Quad Master LT-ASOOF and the Quadßunner LT-FSOOF. The only question you hove to ask yourself is; automatic or manual? • Liquid-cooled 4-stroke engine with four-valve cylinder head provides the most torque of any four-wheeler in its class • Four-wheel drive is delivered through a solid rear axle and torque sensing limited slip front differential for lightweight durability combined with light steering. • Dual hydraulic front disc brakes with twin-piston calipers and rear drum brake for sure stopping power • Standard front and rear cargo racks and built-in utility box for maximum carrying capacity M & S SALES & SERVICE, INC. I 3385 DIVISION HIGHWAY NEW HOLLAND, PA 17557 SA 1 1/2 Miles West of Blue Ball On Rt. 322 M s 717-354-4726 m Mon., Wed., Thun. 8-8; Tues. & Fri. 8-5; Sat. 9-3 c *u7tiK Ouartßurmpr ATVs may used only ov ?hos»e aged 1C and oidor »gh y rorc 'nmcnjs h«il x> &*>«• 5344 Al ra*' he lo ope r aie Por your sa'et* d'wa r s> wear n lmu A a ipxm <£ ive Be extta / v>'« s fut on diliruilloinn An i mi rooconmrv** >nis t ‘>everywhere ugfe»voulc Ltgh’iy on and pn.rttefanc P ese've vour fu'urer dingooport mtio. l r showing 'topomc' I* tcnvimnim nl or.viaw am the g .ofi/hcr whuiwurJt ❖ Special Report * forages with excessively high K content. • Allow forages to mature as much as possible before har vest. There are some obvious forage quality trade-offs asso ciated with this practice. However, K levels can be reduced by about 25 percent for example, (2.3 to 1.8 per cent) if alfalfa is allowed to mature from bud to 25 percent I flower before harvesting. • Harvest the forage as low to the ground as possible. The tops of forage plants contain higher concentrations of K than the base of plants. Harvesting close to the ground will result in lower K content forage. • Practices that keep more leaves in harvested forage will reduce K content because K tends to accumulate in the stem. • Include a grass in the for age mixture. Grasses tend to have lower K content than legumes. However, on soils with excessive K levels grasses can also contain excessive amounts of K. For all these management practices to be effective a good system of forage monitoring and inventory must be in place. Segregating forage based on K content and match ing this with the needs of ani mal groups is essential. Quadßunner LT-FSOOF 4X4 fSc NEW HOLLAND SF 550 SELF-PROPELLED FIELD SPRAYER 1 « For commercial hay producers and custom operators there’s no better return on investment than a New Holland Model 590 or 595 big baler. They’re designed for the highest baling capacity and built for years of dependable service. Quad Master LT-ASOOF4X4 VERSATILITY AND ACCURACY IN ONE SPBAYEB NEW BIG BALERS ARE BUILT TO LAST INTEREST FREE FOR 36 MONTHS bale wagon Pickup and Stack Bales - FAST ln Stock Need Self Propelled Capacity Here It Is! ALL 4 V ■ ; NEW 1441 15’ Cut Hyd. Swing gfeNEWHOLLAI\D MES SICK’S \SrCredit Company Rheems Exit - Route 283 Elizabethtown, PA 17022 717-367-1319 717-653-8867 SPIOB9 SERVING TWO LOCATIONS nmhouam) jS% HW3OO w/SP HAYBINE 14’ Head, 195 Hrs. UWHOUAW HW34O SP DISCBINE 15’ Head, Less 200 Hrs. .ease SAVE $ $ $ RD 1, Box 225 A, Abbottstown, PA 17301 West of York, PA On Route 30 717-259-6617 &