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Cattle Boards
Grasses, Pastures & Hay
Is fertilizing even needed?
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<blockquote data-quote="inyati13" data-source="post: 1024777" data-attributes="member: 17767"><p>That being what it is, Banjo, if you are taking a crop from the land then it is like an equation: to keep it in balance you have to put something back. Hauling your hay from the field every year is the same as going out there and loading minerals including elemental N, C, K, Ca, P, selenium, etc in a loader bucket and dumping it on your neighbors farm. Eventually, for those elements to be in good supply they have to be replaced. A plant makes its own food (carbohydrates) via photosynthesis, but to build cell walls, plastids, mitochondria and to carry on cell metabolism it must have elements. That is what fertilizer does but even fertilizer is very limited as most of what we get is only N-P-K. Limestone is much more diverse since it is ground limestone which will contain other elements in addition to Ca. But make no mistake, land wears out if there is no replacement of elements. I am trying to rebuild hay fields on my farm where the elements have been removed by crops and leaching. Remember, the bedrock is the ultimate source of elements but it takes geologic time to oxidize and weather to make those elements usable by the plant.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="inyati13, post: 1024777, member: 17767"] That being what it is, Banjo, if you are taking a crop from the land then it is like an equation: to keep it in balance you have to put something back. Hauling your hay from the field every year is the same as going out there and loading minerals including elemental N, C, K, Ca, P, selenium, etc in a loader bucket and dumping it on your neighbors farm. Eventually, for those elements to be in good supply they have to be replaced. A plant makes its own food (carbohydrates) via photosynthesis, but to build cell walls, plastids, mitochondria and to carry on cell metabolism it must have elements. That is what fertilizer does but even fertilizer is very limited as most of what we get is only N-P-K. Limestone is much more diverse since it is ground limestone which will contain other elements in addition to Ca. But make no mistake, land wears out if there is no replacement of elements. I am trying to rebuild hay fields on my farm where the elements have been removed by crops and leaching. Remember, the bedrock is the ultimate source of elements but it takes geologic time to oxidize and weather to make those elements usable by the plant. [/QUOTE]
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Is fertilizing even needed?
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