fertilizer decision

[dmiller]

I rent about 26 acres of hay ground (16, 10 two places). Soil tests came back. Rec. application is going to cost $1500. Only have $1100 right now. All 3 NPK are extremely low, I rented the ground last year and could only afford N, to my knowledge that was the first application of anything in about 6 years on one place and in about 20 on the other. Sandy loam soils. 16 acre place is flood irrigated.

So do I...
1. apply lower rates on everything
2. apply the rec. but to less acres
- if so do I not apply the better ground or the worst?

What are your thoughts?

 

[JMS/.MN]

I"d go with door #1- get a better crop on every acre. Leave some untouched and it"s a guarantee of no better than last year. If finances are better after first cutting, apply the rest you need. Not unusual to split apps here. Also, paying interest is a normal cost of farming. Do you sell some hay...sell some first, pay for some fertilizer.

 

[showcrop]

A few thoughts. Around here they hardly ever recommend P and it went up a lot in 2008. Low K keeps the plants from taking up the N which is what the plants really use to grow. So how about a blend with just N and K, whatever you can afford, but covering all the ground equally. Then as has been said you can reinvest some of the return into more later.

 

[dmiller]

No Second cutting to deal with, too dry. The irrigated place has such poor soil that last year I irrigated it 4 times between first and second cutting and the 2nd cutting only went 1/3 ton to the acre.
This year I convinced the landlord to rent it to another guy as fall pasture once the hay is off from first cutting.

 

[DAVIS FARMS]

THIS IS WHAT WE DO JUST MY 2 CENTS ON RENTED GROUND THIS IS FOR HAY 60-60-60 OR 0-60-60 IF A SHORT TERM N DOES HELP I WOULD USE A BLEND 20-20-20 AT LEAST.WE PUAH FOR SIX TON TO THE ACRE ON OUR FARMS WE USE 60-80-195 WITH TOP DRESS 60-30-30 AFTER EACH CUT

 

[JMS/.MN]

Where is this at? You have irrigation but can"t get a second cutting, much less 3-4? Maybe the stand is so poor that nothing grows? A desert can grow great crops with enough water and plant food.

 

[dmiller]

The field has about 6-8 inches of sandy topsoil on top of what should be a gravel pit. Located in South Central Montana. Growing season is relatively short (about 110 days). The grass just doesn't grow in July, too hot. It will start growing again in late Aug but if you don't have it cut by mid Sept. you start risking snow on it when in the windrow (we got about 6 inches the first week of Oct. the past 2 years) It was seeded to Brohm grass about 20 years ago and the land owner says he will never allow it to be worked up again because it pulled up so many rocks.
The place across the road raises about 4 ton to the year alfalfa (2 cuttings), the guy chiseld the ground heavy, rented a rock picker and farms it well. So I know it can be farmed better, but I'm happy to have the opportunity I do have.

 

[kyhayman]

I'd put on the full rate of N and buy as much P and K as I could afford with whats left.

 

[paul]

Thanks for the explination, and I understand the situation - gotta do what works with the people & oppertunity one has.

Grasses like N, hate to cut that back. I'd work on partial load of P&K as you can.

--->Paul

 

[GordoSD]

It sounds like you have only a year at a time rental. If you are doing all the maintaining of this land you need at least a 5 year term. You could spend lots of bucks for the next two years, get the land in top shape and then the landowner won't renew.
If you can't get more than 1 year at a time I would look for a different landlord.

Gordo

 

[Kevin Schmidt]

I would apply a decent rate that you can afford now on all of it.

After 1st or second cutting, when the checkbook has healed, fertilize it again. Here a lot of guys throw fertilizer down after the 1st cutting.

 

[dmiller]

Thought I'd let you know how it turned out.

I went with applying as much as I could afford of the agronomists rec. on all 26 acres. Must've skipped a few places or they must've loaded a bit extra because I came up with enough when I was done to do about 1 1/2 acres twice. Put this on my better ground.

Weather has been perfect. Sunny and relatively nice when I applied yesterday, raining/snowing today.

Also came up with one other factor for why the fields yield so low compared to what most of you are used to. They are at approx. 3800 ft elevation.