Fertilizing

The importance of rotating old alfalfa stands is well established. As the alfalfa stand ages, forage yield and quality decline, while pressure from weeds, insects and diseases increases.

In this political season, it is worth remembering that policies do matter. In the 2004 presidential campaign season, the most frequent discussion was about energy policy. In the years that have followed, the game has changed. A shift occurred in energy policies in the U.S. in several momentous ways, and because fertilizer prices are intimately linked to energy prices, this has had major impacts on fertilizer prices in the 12 years since.

Early spring is the time to get out the soil probe and sample for soil fertility in preparation to provide adequate plant nutrition for alfalfa and other forage crops.

When it comes to dragging pastures, there isn’t a “one-size-fits-all” approach; it either works for your operational goals or it doesn’t.

Georgia hay producers Ricky Roper and Alan Verner are taking advantage of the benefits of applying poultry litter to their hayfields. According to University of Georgia researchers, poultry litter is commonly used on north Georgia pastures and hayfields.

One man’s junk is another man’s treasure. A lot of people refer to the inevitable byproduct of poultry production as the black plague, but if one wants to build soil fertility on the cheap, poultry litter is black gold. The wise would say it has its advantages and its disadvantages, and one would do well to know about each.