Pasture Fertilization Tips?

[AggieStudent20]

I'm looking for opinions on fertilizing pasture for maximum utilization (located in Central MO). Our renter currently adds P&K with a little N in spring and then puts more N, P, &K in late summer/early fall for an extension in fall grazing. He also frost seeds cover. I like this plan but I'm always looking for tips and improvement.

I don't like how most of the farmers in my area fertilize their pasture. They throw everything down in the spring, causing fescue to crowd everything else out. Then they bushog there fields all summer and run out of grass in September and complain about feeding hay until May (They claim they don't fertilize twice because there worried about compaction on there soil but there not worried about feeding hay 9 months out of the year). I don't want to be like this. My personal thought is to frost seed legumes, let the spring flush do its thing with a little boost and then give it another boost late summer. Any advice would help.

 

[kenny thomas]

A good soil test is the first thing you need. Then you can develop your plan. Without that everyone is just guessing.

 

[AggieStudent20]

A good soil test is the first thing you need. Then you can develop your plan. Without that everyone is just guessing.

I plan on doing some grid sampling (my old job actually) and going off of the results. I plan on trying to preform MIG grazing to try to extend my grass as much as possible. I read a lot of Greg Judy and really enjoy his work/thoughts on pasture.

 

[gcreekrch]

IMHO, too much land has been burnt by too much chemical application. Use the cattle to your advantage. A properly stocked pasture should have all the grass going through a cow, not a machine unless you use what is cut for winter feed.

We don't use commercial fertilizer at all. Winter feeding on the weak spots of our hay meadows does enough. Irrigation water, however it comes is far more effective than fertilizers and sprays.

Manage for what you want and ignore the rest. You will get there faster.

Be careful of the promoters too, they make far more from selling their ideas to you than they do from their own operations...… if indeed they actually have one.

 

[AggieStudent20]

IMHO, too much land has been burnt by too much chemical application. Use the cattle to your advantage. A properly stocked pasture should have all the grass going through a cow, not a machine unless you use what is cut for winter feed.

We don't use commercial fertilizer at all. Winter feeding on the weak spots of our hay meadows does enough. Irrigation water, however it comes is far more effective than fertilizers and sprays.

Manage for what you want and ignore the rest. You will get there faster.

Be careful of the promoters too, they make far more from selling their ideas to you than they do from their own operations...… if indeed they actually have one.

I agree completely. Id rather rotational graze and rely on manure disbursement with some chemical fertilizer when needed rather than just constantly dump urea on my place like most of my neighbors do. They have no pasture. By September, their fields look like dry lots. They stock way to many cattle for what they can actually handle. They also run cattle that weigh to much in my opinion. A 1200lb cow will raise the same calf as an 1800lb cow. Our previous renter ran Angus cows on our place that I would have bet money almost weighed 2000lbs (I wish I had pictures). I also plan on unrolling a majority of our hay. I believe there is no waste considering what the cattle won't eat will feed the soil. I think this is a great way to help rejuvenate pastures. I only like to feed in bale rings if they are in a lot. I don't like the manure rings and mud bale rings tend to cause.