In the News - March 2008
Homespun advice from a veteran county agent
Never too late to learn efficient habits
BENTONVILLE, Ark. - I seem to receive more questions from mom and pop
livestock producers about holding on this year. Obviously, their concern is
driven by higher input costs, which have caused significant changes in many farm
management practices.
Agricultural census data from the USDA indicate that moms and pops, 60 and
older, operate about 40 percent of all the farms in Benton County. I’m sure that
number is similar throughout the area. But give them credit for recognizing that
habits must undergo a change to regain stability if they hope to keep the farm
going.
Livestock need forage, and forage volume requires some level of fertilizer
input. Fescue occupies a significant percentage of our acreage because its
adaptability rates it close to being ideal forage. Stretched over thousands of
acres and various soil types, we tend to abuse fescue but still expect it to
produce a good yield and quality.
Fescue doesn’t make serious growth until night temperatures stay above 40
degrees Fahrenheit. This means that in northwest Arkansas, rapid growth will
begin in late March and maintain a steady pace until hot temperatures arrive in
late June.
By understanding this pattern, fertilizer applications can be manipulated to
optimize growth and quality. The most efficient forage production (pounds of
forage to pounds of nitrogen) occurs when lower nitrogen rates are applied at
the onset of the growth period. A five-year University of Arkansas fescue study
illustrated that, when applied as split treatments, two 100-pound rates of
nitrogen were 58 percent and 114 percent more efficient than a 200- and
300-pound nitrogen rate, respectively.
About 50 percent of fescue’s annual forage potential can be produced from
March through early July. Manipulating spring fertilization can result in one of
the most economical time periods of the year.
The same fertilization pattern will work for orchardgrass and other cool
season grasses, allowing producers, regardless of age, to capture the best
possible efficiency from their nitrogen dollar.
With no reduction in fertilizer prices on the horizon, finding ways to
achieve peak efficiency will remain critical. Til’ next week!
For more information about forages, contact your county extension agent or
visit www.uaex.edu and select Agriculture, then
Forage/Pasture. The Cooperative Extension Service is part of the U of A Division
of Agriculture.
March 14, 2008
By: Robert Seay
Benton County Extension Agent
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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