Nitrogen

Many farmers are shifting to cattle or goat production to offset lost income as tobacco acreage continues to decline. Livestock production is a good choice because Kentucky has more than seven million acres of forage production. Forages haven't been intensively managed for top production because we historically have a surplus, especially in the spring. As the number of livestock operations continues to grow, many producers want to increase pasture and hay land production so they can increase their stocking rate.

Stockpiling is a very good practice. Stockpiling tall fescue will extend pastures later into the season than any other grasses that we have and the data continues to show that everyday grazing is cheaper than feeding hay. More and more producers are seeing the importance of stockpiling and making more efficient use of their pastures throughout the year. Producers are seeing the profit potential in beef cattle and are putting more effort toward that. Cattle producers can make some inexpensive changes that could improve the quality of their animals and the management of those animals.

Drought-stricken, non-irrigated lawns are either dormant, dead or seriously thinned. Lawns or portions of lawns growing on good soils and showing some green at the base of the leaves are likely to recover quickly following a soaking rain event. Lawns showing no green, growing on south or west slopes, growing on clay or sandy soil and mowed short during the drought may be more than 50 percent killed. September and October are normally the two driest months of the year and most Kentucky soils are very, very dry throughout the root zone.

This year's dry weather will have implications for future crops long after drought conditions are over. Farmers planting wheat after a low-yielding corn crop will see the most immediate effects. Because of severe water limitations, corn plants were not able to produce up to their genetic yield potential. Nitrogen that would have been taken up in the plant under normal growing conditions is left in the soil. Residual nitrogen will be lost through the winter months if the farmer doesn't plant anything on these fields this fall.

As fertilizer costs go up, farmers might want to consider what they can do to maximize productivity within their budget. For some that could mean using less nitrogen and focusing on other needed nutrients or perhaps switching nitrogen sources. Fertilizer price is one of those issues that isn't likely to go away anytime soon. How will farmers react to fertilizer prices that are likely to remain high for the next few years? Farmers will stay in business and they will figure out a way to do it, and it is important for crop advisers who assist farmers to help them decide where their fertilizer money is best spent.

Many pasture fields have been battered by more than a year of tough weather conditions. Renovating these pastures by adding legumes during the next few weeks can provide many benefits. Adding legumes such as red clover, white clover, lespedeza or alfalfa to grass fields improves production and provides a high-quality feed. In addition, legumes are able to utilize atmospheric nitrogen, reducing the need for commercial nitrogen fertilizer. Legume content in pastures has been reduced dramatically as a result of drought and high temperatures in 2005 and muddy conditions in a lot of 2006.

If you have a less-than-productive grass pasture or hay field, following some simple renovation techniques will increase its productivity. These practices include planting a legume such as red clover, controlling pests, and adding lime and fertilizer. Adding legumes to pasture and hay fields has several benefits including higher yields, improved quality, nitrogen fixation and more summer growth. Seeding legumes increases the total forage yield per acre. One study compared adding red clover to a fescue pasture with fertilizing the grass with nitrogen.

 As we begin to approach the fall season, many folks obtain large amounts of leaves and other yard wastes that need to be removed from their property. Composting is a practice that is beneficial to the environment and at the same time allows property owners to get rid of these different yard wastes in an effective manner.  When you compost leaves, other yard debris and kitchen waste, a microbial process converts these items into a more usable organic amendment. You can use finished compost to improve soil structure in gardens and landscape beds.

As the days of summer wind down, you might be thinking about a long rest from lawn care. But don't take that vacation just yet, or if you do, make it a short one, because fall is a good time to take care of weeds, remove leaves and fertilize grass. Fall is the best time of the year to control such broadleaf weeds as dandelion, plantain, chickweed, henbit and clover. These weeds are actively growing in the fall, making them easier to control. And since grass also is actively growing during this time, it will fill in spaces the weeds formerly occupied.