Make time this winter for forage and soil testing, especially to prepare the soil for fertilizers.
The cold-weather months is an important time on the ranch, especially when it comes to forage and soil testing. A UF/IFAS blog shared all the testing ranch operators should conduct during the winter months. See them below.
Forage and Soil Testing
Forage (Hay) Testing. “f you feed hay, one tool that can help you supplement for Winter is forage (hay) testing. Our UF/IFAS Forage Extension Laboratory at the Ona Range Cattle Research and Education Center provides a test for $7. This test will give you the crude protein and total digestible nutrients (TDN) of your hay. You can use this information to supplement your livestock accordingly. Knowing what nutritional value your base (hay) is gives you a starting point for adding adequate nutrition. If you have purchased a load of hay that will carry you through most of the season, it might be a good time for testing your hay.”
Soil Testing. “Soils in Florida tend to become more acidic over time. Therefore, a pH adjustment may be necessary to keep your forage stand healthy. Most of our pastures are some variety of Bahia which prefers a pH around 5.5. If you apply lime without testing first, you could easily create a situation where the pH is too high. This can cause your Bahia to die and the weeds to move in. Never apply lime without a soil test. If your soil needs a pH adjustment, the Winter months are the perfect time to apply lime. Lime applications do not need timely rainfall to incorporate into the soil. It requires several months for the lime to incorporate into the soil and have the pH where it needs to be in time for fertilizing next summer.”
The Importance for Fertilizer
The blog shared that “Without a proper pH, fertilizer cannot enter the plant efficiently. If that happens, the fertilizer you apply can leach through the soil profile and/or runs off. This is a costly mistake in many ways. The soil test results will give recommendations for nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorous. If you are in a Basin Management Action Plan (BMAP) area, you will also need to perform a tissue test on your forage before you can apply phosphorous.”
Griffin Fertilizer is committed to helping both growers and ranchers make sound agronomic and economic decisions in order to maximize the health of their grove and pasture. As a full-service custom dry & liquid fertilizer blender and crop protection product distributor, we will continue our mission to further advance Florida agriculture. For questions -or concerns about your farm or pasture, contact us and one of our team will be in touch.
