In the News -
December 2007
Lime is critical for high yielding pastureland
MOUNTAIN HOME, Ark. - Are you losing extra yield from pasture and forage
crops each season due to low soil pH?
"Lime needs to be applied on acid soils if you want a well-balanced fertility
program and highest yields," said Mark Keaton, Baxter County staff chair with
the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service.
He said yields can be increased on many Arkansas farms by correcting acid
soil conditions with lime. Most grasses will produce top yield on soils that are
only moderately acid or slightly acid.
Most legumes, on the other hand, grow best on soils that are slightly acid to
neutral in pH reaction, according to Keaton. Good yields of all forages are more
attainable when proper levels of lime and fertilizer are applied to pastures and
hay meadows.
In addition to increasing soil pH, lime supplies calcium or calcium and
magnesium (dolomitic limestone), both essential nutrients for plant growth.
"Many forage producers are now trying to manage for species diversity,"
Keaton said. "For example, two or three different grasses along with one or two
legumes in the same pasture provide greater opportunity for producing available
forage for a longer period of the growing season, and overall pasture quality
can be improved."
When considering all plant food elements in these pasture situations, the
optimum pH level for availability is probably around 6.3 to 6.5, he said.
"The only way to know how much lime or fertilizer is needed to produce a
desired level of production for a given forage species or species mix is to soil
test," Keaton said.
Perennial pastures should be tested at least every two or three years. Fields
used for hay production should probably be tested every two years at the
minimum, particularly if the hay is fed on pastures other than the hay meadow.
The sampling process is the main source of error in soil testing. A single
soil sample should be collected for each pasture. Typically, samples are taken
to a depth of 4 inches. It’s a good idea to rake aside surface material before
sampling. For each sample, 25 or more subsamples should be taken at random
across the pasture.
Be sure to identify each sample so that you will be assured of matching the
soil test recommendation to the appropriate pasture, Keaton advised. Also, to
ensure you have your soil test recommendations back before needed, samples
should be taken at least four weeks before the time you plan to apply lime and
fertilizer. Once your soil samples are taken and have air-dried sufficiently,
take these samples to your county extension office.
There is no fee for soil samples tested at the University of Arkansas Soil
Test Laboratory.
In forage production, as in the production of most crops, maintaining a
satisfactory soil pH with lime and ensuring that nitrogen, phosphorus and
potassium are available at levels necessary should be your goal.
Nitrogen produces the most dramatic growth response in forage grasses.
However, for legume persistence in pastures, lime and potassium are more
critical. Potassium also plays a vital role in plant winter hardiness for
grasses and legumes.
There can be tremendous variability in the soil pH and nutrients from pasture
to pasture. That’s why each pasture should have a soil test.
For more information about fertilizer needs, contact your county extension
agent. The Cooperative Extension Service is part of the U of A Division of
Agriculture.
December 7, 2007
Media Contact: Lamar James
Extension Communications Specialist
U of A Division of Agriculture
Cooperative Extension Service
(501) 671-2187 or (501) 753-0207
ljames@uaex.edu
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