WOOSTER, Ohio
When it comes to growing
grass for hay production or
tor pasture, soil fertility often
takes a back seat to nutrient
management for other field
crops.
Ohio State University soil
specialist Maurice Watson
said that knowing and main
taining correct soil pH and
nutrient concentrations
before seed planting and after
establishment is important
for obtaining maximum
yields. “Many times soil fer
tility is ignored for grass pas
ture and grass forage
production when compared
to many of the cash crops,”
said Watson. “To get maxi
mum grass forage produc
tion, the status of the soil’s
fertility should be known and
adjusted if necessary.”
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Soil Fertility Important For Good Forage Production
The best management
practice for achieving opti
mum soil fertility is to test the
soil several months prior to
seeding the grass crop. Farm
ers should keep in mind the
following guidelines when
testing their fields:
• Maintain an optimum
pH level of 6.0-6.5. If the soil
pH becomes less than 6.0,
other nutrients such as phos
phorus, calcium and mag
nesium become less available
to the plant. It is best to op
timize the soil pH several
months before planting. If
the soil is excessively acidic,
an application of limestone is
recommended. Under most
climate conditions the lime
will begin to show its effect by
increasing the pH of the soil
within three months. How
ever, it is usually best to
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apply the limestone six
months before seeding.
• Maintain adequate ni
trogen to obtain high yields.
Nitrogen should be applied at
the rate of 20-40 pounds pei
acre at seeding. An addi
tional 30-50 pounds per acre
should be applied in late
summer or early fall of the
same year. Yearly applica
tions of nitrogen are needed
after establishment of the
grass crop. Some common
sources of nitrogen fertilizers
are urea, 28 percent urea
ammonium nitrate solution,
ammonium nitrate, and
manures.
• Establish optimum
phosphorus concentrations
prior to planting. Phosphorus
is essential for plant growth.
It is much more difficult to
substantially increase phos-
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phorus levels once the grass
crop is established. Some
common sources of phos
phorus are triple super phos
phate, di-ammonium phos
phate, mono-ammonium
phosphate and ammonium
polyphosphate.
• High-yielding grass
forages have a high demand
for potassium. It is very im
portant to build the soil po
tassium levels up to the
critical level before seeding,
which can be done bv broad
casting potassium-containing
fertilizer on the soil and
working it into the soil Ap
plication uites exceeding WO
pounds per acre of actual po
tassium should be split into
two applications, mixing
after each application. Some
common potassium
containing feitili/eis aie mu-
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Lancaster Farming, Saturday, July 13,2002, Foraging Around-
• Keep an eye on sulfur deficiencies.
Sulfur is an important constituent of
proteins in plants. Rarely does a sulfur
deficiency occur, but when it does, it
most likely occurs in sandy soils with
very low organic matter content. The
sulfur status is considered low when
sulfur concentration in the leaf tissue L
less than or equal to 0.20 percent. If
additional sulfur is needed, the most
common sources to use are flowers of
sulfur (yellow powder), Sulf-Po-Mg,
gypsum, ammonium sulfate, and
manures.
• Take precautions when adding
micronutrients to the soil. The plant
requires these nutrients in very small
amounts and an over-application can
be toxic to the plant.
“Establishing optimum soil fertility
before planting will pay benefits in
greater yields and better quality of
grass forage over many years,” said
Watson. “Trying to make large
changes in the soil’s fertility after the
crop has been established is expensive
and not as effective as doing it before
planting.”
For more information on forage pro
duction or to locate a soil-testing lab,
log on to http://ohioline.osu.edu/b472/
forage.html and http:ohio
line.osu.edu/hvg-fact/
1000/1132.htm1.
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riate of potash, sulfui
potassium-magnesium (Sulf-
Po-Mg), blended feitilizers,
and manures. If manures are
used, it is best to wait 10 to 14
days after manure applica
tion before seeding. The
manure should be worked
uniformly into the soil to a
depth of at least tour to six
inches.
• Maintain sufficient
levels of magnesium If mag
nesium levels are low m rela
tion to potassium lex els, the
plant will tend to take up
more potassium. 1 his condi
tion can contribute to glass
tetany "shock” in livestock
that feed on the foiage. If the
addition of magnesium is icc
om mended. the most
common magnesium ferti
lizer sources are dolomitic
limestone, magnesium oxide,
and Sul-Po-Mg.
191