Fertilizing

As grass hay harvest gets underway, we need to be thinking about fertilizing those stands with nitrogen (N).

Johne’s disease is a persistent and debilitating bacterial disease that affects the intestines of ruminant animals.

If you have been trying to get a grip on your hay costs, you likely have realized that one of the largest costs is tied to fertilization.

The concept of whole-farm nutrient management can be easily described as the “active process of making decisions related to nutrients imported (feed and fertilizer) to a farm and those nutrients exported (milk, animals and manure) or lost via air or water.”

Manure can contain significant amounts of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K) and other essential plant nutrients.

Some caution is needed to prevent damage to established alfalfa fields from summer manure applications. The potential to damage alfalfa crowns, injure plant tissue due to salt toxicity, overapply nutrients or even transmit disease should be considered.