F8
FARM & RANCH
THE NORTH PLATTE TELEGRAPH
NOVEMBER 2020
Fertilizing pasture and hay ground By BEN BECKMAN Nebraska Extension Any farmer worth their sider are weed control and available moisture dur- ing the growing season. areas of the state with san- dy, low organic soils, sulfur should also be included. in the year it is applied. However, other nutrients can remain for a few years between applications, so a two or three year testing ro- tation is often enough. Soil fertility can be key to maintaining alfalfa yields salt knows the importance of fertilizing a crop for optimal production. Often, this com- mon knowledge stops at row crops or high value hay like alfalfa. Could a look at your fertility improve pasture and grass hay production next year? Soil sampling now, be- fore the ground freezes can help with planning this win- ter and give time to develop a fertility plan if our soil tests show fertilizer is need- ed. Hay ground should be the first location to consid- er testing, as plant material is constantly harvested and moved to another location, slowly depleting of the major nutrients needed for plant growth. Two other factors to con- Pastures that are weedy may benefit more by addressing grazing practices and con- trolling weeds rather than fertility. In these situations, additional nutrients are used by the weeds and can make matters worse. When it comes to produc- tion, especially for native grass hay and pastures, moisture is the most lim- iting factor, not fertility. You can apply all the fer- tilizer in the world, but doing so in a drought won’t help plants grow. Fertilizer applications on dry land ar- eas, especially for nitrogen, should be based on expect- ed moisture. In Nebraska, the main fertility focus should look at the primarily at phos- phorus and potassium. In Finally, keep an eye on soil pH. Differences in soil pH play a big role in nutrient availability. In pastures, ni- trogen is nearly always used
there are a few ways you can decide to pull the cores: by soil type, grid, or representa- tive samples for every 40 acres. For alfalfa fields by soil type or representative sam- ples for every 40 acres would be the most cost-effective choic- es. You will need to pull 10 to 15 random soil cores across your soil type or 40 acre area to be represented. Those soil cores need to be mixed togeth-
To collect soil sam- ples this fall, you will need to collect soil cores to 8 inches, or if the field was previous- ly sampled to 6 inches stay with the historic depth for comparison. It is very important to be at an accurate depth, because values change the deeper or shallower we go in the profile. You can use a file or a sharpie mark- er to measure 8 inches on your soil probe to make it easier, when pulling cores. When sampling
to maintaining yield and alfalfa fields should ideally be sam- pled each year to check soil pH, potassi-
um and phosphorous levels across all soil textures. Note, if your field is sandy, eroded or highly weathered, you may want to test for sulfur as well. It is important to remem- ber that compared to row crop ground or grass hay, nitrate-ni- trogen is not a concern since alfalfa can fix atmospheric nitro- gen. However, digging a few plants up and checking nodulation will provide some in- sight to plant/soil health as well.
Well fall is the perfect time to pull soil sam- ples and see what’s going on underground. Soil fertility is key
By MEGAN TAYLOR Nebraska Extension
Did your alfalfa not yield what you were expecting this year?
Please see SOIL, Page F11
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