What is the best fertilizer for hay field?

Commonly used N fertilizers for grass hay production include urea, or ammonium sulfate. Urea, with 46% N, is the most concentrated commercial source but must be applied shortly before rain or irrigation to prevent significant loss of the N to the atmosphere as volatile ammonia.

When should you fertilize your hay field?

Hayfields are often best fertilized AFTER the first harvesting of hay or straw. The soil will be depleted of nutrients, and need a little help for the next cutting to grow tall and healthy – especially if the fields are cut three times a year when weather permits instead of the standard two.

Can you over fertilize hay fields?

On good irrigated pastures or hayfields you can put down a lot more fertilizer because you have the moisture available.” A lack of moisture can also increase risk of nitrate toxicity in plants. It's critical to test feedstuffs that are drought stressed especially when nitrogen fertilizer has been applied.

How many pounds of fertilizer do you need per acre for pasture?

Grass Needs N

Nitrogen fertilizer should be considered for a grass dominant pasture. Research indicates that the first 30 to 50 pounds per acre of nitrogen are used most efficiently and that split applications of this amount generally maximize yield.

How do I put nitrogen in my hay field?

“Apply 50 to 60 pounds per acre of nitrogen on your best grass stands and 30 to 40 pounds per acre on the rest,” he recommends. Thomas suggests a similar amount of nitrogen be applied during August to boost plant carbohydrate levels, which should result in higher yields the following spring.

preparing the hay fields for maximum yeild

Which is better fertilizer urea or ammonium nitrate?

Overall results have shown ammonium nitrate to be a more effective source of nitrogen than urea and at present prices it costs much the same as urea per unit of nitrogen.

How do you increase yield of hay?

The most efficient way to fertilize a hay field is to split-apply N based on the expected yield of the next growth. The actual rate should be 50 pounds N per ton of expected hay yield. Research has shown that splitting N applications can increase N use efficiency 25 to 35 percent and yields by 5 to 10 percent.

How many bags of fertilizer do I need for 1 acre?

Fertilizing an Acre of Lawn

Multiply the number of bags you need for 1,000 square feet by this number to determine how many bags you need for an acre. For example, you need (1.1 x 43.56) = 48 bags of Dr. Earth and (0.25 X 43.56) = 11 bags of Pennington UltraGreen.

How long does it take for fertilizer to work on pasture?

Although P, K and lime can be added anytime, nitrogen fertilizer should be applied when pastures or hayfields will have the best opportunity to have a yield response. Usually a majority of the nitrogen applied as a part of commercial fertilizer is gone in 60 days.

How many gallons of fertilizer do you need per acre?

For calculating liquid fertilizer rates over an acre, multiply 34 (ounces for 1/2 lb of N) X 43 to get 1462 ounces (over 11 gallons) of product plus water to make 2 gallons of solution for each 1000 sq. ft. to cover the acre. Based on the formulation it will last approximately 8 weeks in the soil.

What does phosphorus do for hay fields?

Hay generally removes between 8-16 lbs P2O5/acre for one ton of hay (depending on your soil type). Optimal rates of phosphorus also increase leaf content of magnesium and calcium further enhancing photosynthesis and the quality of hay. Nitrogen use efficiency is also significantly increased by P fertilization.

Is horse manure good for hay fields?

Manure is an excellent nutrient source for fertilizing hay fields, especially with current high fertilizer prices. Topdressing hay fields with manure can build soil fertility with on-farm resources and help expand acres for spreading.

How can I improve the quality of my hay?

Should I fertilize my pasture every year?

Generally, one acre of pasture for every two cows should be fertilized with N in early spring and never more than a third of the total pasture acreage. All applications of K should wait until the plants can utilize it better.

Is it better to fertilize pasture in spring or fall?

"A pasture mixture with 40% or more legumes may meet most its annual nitrogen needs through legume companions of white and red clovers." The time spent fertilizing your pastures this fall will result in quicker, more vigorous pasture growth next spring.

How much does a 50lb bag of fertilizer cover?

Nitrogen for growth and color, Phosphate for root growth, and Potash for plant health. A lawn will typically utilize 1 to 4 pounds of Nitrogen per 1,000 square feet per growing season. A 50 lb bag of fertilizer will typically cover 5,000 to 10,000 square feet.

What is triple 15 fertilizer used for?

Description. NPK 15-15-15 Compound Fertilizer is a premium homogeneous fertilizer for maintaining ornamental landscape plants such as foundation plantings, shrubs, ground covers, trees, roses, and flowers.

How much lime should I put on my hay field?

If surface applying lime, apply no more than two and one-half tons per acre per year. Up to four tons per acre may be applied if the lime is worked into the soil.

Is lime good for hay fields?

Most of the grass species found in pasture and hay fields do best in a soil that is above 6.0 on the pH scale. Legumes prefer a soil pH closer to 6.5. The lime requirement is based not on the actual soil pH, but rather on the buffer pH or the lime test index. Lime neutralizes hydrogen ions, causing soil pH to increase.

What is the best fertilizer for timothy hay?

The most common and effective granular N fertilizer for broadcast application onto timothy was ammonium nitrate (34-0-0).

What are the disadvantages of urea?

Is urea cheaper than ammonium nitrate?

In this example, ammonium nitrate costs less at $550 per ton than urea at $630 per ton. However, the cost of nitrogen per lb for urea ($0.67) is actually less than the cost of nitrogen per lb for ammonium nitrate ($0.79).

Which is better ammonium sulphate or urea?

Ammonium sulphate was superior to urea if the fertilizer was applied prior to permanent flood. After permanent flood, urea was superior until panicle initiation when there was little difference between the two fertilizers. Ammonium sulphate appears to be more sensitive than urea to application time.