Fertilizing cool season grass is one thing many producers do every year whereas accounting for forage wants, moisture, the worth of the forage, and fertilizer prices.
Fertilization of easy bromegrass pastures ought to happen late March by means of April. If the nitrogen is a single software, often between 80 to 100 lbs. of precise N per acre is usually recommended for jap Nebraska. The beneficial software charge declines westward throughout the state with about 30 to 40 lbs. N per acre instructed for the Panhandle.
If doing break up functions, often it is 2/3 within the spring and 1/3 within the fall when development resumes on the cool season grasses. With fertilized pasture, be sure you embrace a rotational grazing plan that may successfully harvest the additional forage and supply the best return on the fertilizer funding.
One thing to think about when deciding to fertilize cool season grass pastures, or any pasture for that matter, is that in drought years the forage high quality would possibly nonetheless be very excessive although yield could be diminished. Once more, moisture limits the effectivity of fertilizer.
Analysis performed in Japanese Nebraska has proven a 30% improve in forage yield with fertilization and the financial optimum charge is between 80 to 120 lbs. per acre. A crude protein improve from 16 to twenty% was seen with fertilizer functions as much as 160 lbs. That’s a number of fertilizer, nevertheless it did improve crude protein and natural matter digestibility whereas lowering NDF or impartial detergent fiber. At all times remember when making use of fertilizer, particularly in pastures and fields close to water sources akin to ponds. Guarantee phosphorous and potassium ranges are enough for forage as properly.
Brome pastures are hardy and we are able to and do graze them arduous in Nebraska. Haying or grazing operations can profit if managed appropriately with fertilizer.
