PowerPoint Presentation

Matching Forage Fertility Management to Your Cow HerdBrian C. PughArea AgronomistOSU Extension

What is the most efficient forage harvesting tool?Scythe

Round Baler

C. Bessie

Is Fertilizer Too Expensive?Fertilizing Vs. FeedingCompare the cost of fertilizing vs. purchasing hay.Assumes stocking density has been determinedAssume a cow needs 43/lbs forage per day.Compare the cost of feeding:43 lbs/day of grazed forageto43 lbs/day of hay for 1 cow.

4$/bale$50$45$40$35$30$25$20$15$/head/day expense for 1 cow43 lbs X cost of grassCost for 1200 lbs Round Bale ($/bale)Cost of Urea $/ton5$/bale$50$45$40$35$30$25$20$15Cost/head/day for 43 lbs/hay @ $35/baleCost/head/day for 43 lbs/day of grazed forageWith 50 lbs N (109 lbs Urea @ $350/ton)When the column is below the line:It is cheaper to feed grazed forageWhen the column is above the line:It is cheaper to feed hay6$/bale$55$50$45$40$35$30$25Hay vs. Fertilized Forage Quality?Urea $514 DAP $571$27.95/ton$16.76/bale

7Nitrogen CostsWhen buying fertilizer maker sure to price it by the pound of nitrogen not by $/ton.

Example: Which is a better buy?Am. Nitrate @ $400/ton or Urea @ $500/ton

Ammonium Nitrate2000 lbs x .34 = 680 lbs N$400/680 = $0.588Urea2000 lbs x .46 = 920 lbs N$500/920 = $0.543Nitrogen Fertilizer is Just too Expensive!Right?Urea - $514/T ($0.559/lb N)1 Ton Forage = $27.95 Nitrogen ($16.77 per 1200 lb bale)What does a 1200 lb bale cost you in local area?$25 to $30 ??? , $20 ???At $60/ton = $36 per 1200lb Bale.Even purchased at $20 dollars per bale its cheaper to grow it !

Is Fertilizer Feasible Under Risk of Drought?

Many producers rely on 5 months of Bermuda production to supply the cows needs for the whole year.

What happens if we dont get summer rains?

Fertility during drought?Effects of Fertility On Degraded Bermudagrass Cover.Muskogee County, 2012

Bermuda = 31%WS Grasses = 36%Broadleaf = 33%Fertility beats drought!

This was with 2.97 of rainfall!No history of bad weed problems or overgrazing.This was with 4.08 of rainfall!Half the production of 2013, but better than 400 lbs of Bermuda/A!

Statistically no significant differences!Plots harvested on Oct 17thN Source Effects On YieldKinta, OK 2005Brian Pugh & Chris RiceApplication of 100 units N 294 lb/ac amm. nitrate, 217 #/ac urea, or 217 lb/ac of urea+Agrotain.7.40 Rainfall

3.95 Rainfall6.05 Rainfall

Rainfall for Payne County (1981-2011)36.75 inches average total rainfallFertilize cool season grassFertilize warm season grassFertilize Warm or cool season grassHow Much Fertilizer?OSU Rules of Thumb - FertilityIt takes 50 lbs actual N to make 1 additional ton of warm season grassIt takes 60 lbs actual N to make 1 additional ton of cool season grassFor E. OK, 1 acre will produce 1 ton of forage per year without fertility!

Increase fertility or decrease stocking rate?

How do we determine what will be in our best interest when determining dollars returned?Fertilizing With a Goal in Mind.

Conduct a Forage Budget to determine forage production needed for the year.Set production goals for the whole place, taking into account the production potential of soils in each pasture.Put fertilizer resources where and when they will do the most good.Forage Budgeting.A forage budget is simply determining how much forage you need to grow in order to supply your cows with the groceries they need each day for 365 days of the year!Its not exact, buts its closer than guessing.It also allows you to utilize fertility to grow the forage you will need during the wetter periods of the year and thereby avoid forage shortages during a droughty summer.It should also help to reduce the need to supplement forage supplies with expensive purchased hay in times of shortage.

Forage Budgeting.(F-2584)Livestock description__________Total number of days__________Dry matter consumption__________Lbs/animal_______ x #animals_______=Total # forage required_________/2000 =_________tons of forage required.1200# cow36543 lbs/day156951001,569,500785At best only assume 70 % utilization of standing forage.8 tons forage/cow/year?Unfertilized pasture = 8 Acres

150 acres125 acres125 acresCurrently running 100 cows @ 4 acres/cow. Buying hay (or baling from another field) to make it through 150 winter days in avg year. Feeding hay 180 days in drought year.WestNorthSouthForage Budget - Current Pasture.Total 400 tons of supplied foragePastureForageAcreageYield/AProj. Yield (tons)WestBermuda1501150NorthBermuda1251125SouthBerm/Ryegr1251125Avg years need ~500 round bales (5/cow), dry years having to purchase an additional 150 round bales.Cost @$30 = $15,000 to $19,500 per winter (just hay).Determining Needed Forage.

Budget cow side = 785 tonsCurrent prod. = 400 tonsCurrently 385 tons short on needed forage to supply needs of 100 cows for the year.Causes us to purchase quite a lot of hay in poor years.

150 acres125 acres125 acresWhat if we fertilize West pasture with 50 lbs. N (108 lbs Urea)/Acre in May and fertilize North pasture in late August with 50 lbs. N/Acre to stockpile Bermudagrass for Nov/Dec grazing?WestNorthSouthForage Budget - Current Pasture.Total 675 tons of supplied foragePastureForageAcreageYield/AProj. Yield (tons)WestBermuda1502300NorthBermuda1252250SouthBerm/Ryegr125112550 lbs N on 275 acres @ $0.559 = $7,686 (+275 tons, $27.95/t)Avg years need ~180 round bales (2/cow), dry years having to purchase or bale an additional 50 round bales.Cost @$30 = $5,400 to $6,900 per winter (just hay).Determining Needed Forage.

Budget cow side = 785 tonsProjected prod. = 675 tonsNow we have gone from a 385 ton shortage to a 110 ton forage shortage for the herd.Less hay to buy and hopefully less days to have to feed it.There are many scenarios to play with if we utilize the budget.

150 acres125 acres125 acresWhat if we moved some summer fertility for hay production to the South pasture at 60 lbs. N (130 lbs Urea)/Acre in Feb to promote ryegrass for Mar/Apr grazing? Or planted small grains for use in Jan/Feb? Year Round Grazing System!WestNorthSouthFertilizer Application Strategies

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov DecExcess forage; harvest as hayForage requiredby livestockFeed hayGraze RyegrassGraze Bermuda Summer growthGraze Stockpiled BermudaMove a portion of fertility resources and haying cost to different time of year.Fertility Timing Year Round Grazing.Graze Stockpiled FescueBale RyegrassBale Bermuda31

Soil Test for 160 acrespH = 6.4N = 3P = 10K = 355BermudaEach acre gives 1 ton160 tonsIf we fertilized everything for 1 additional ton160 tons320 tons Total Production

Maximum Yield/ Minimum InputsFertilizer PricesDAP = $571 (50 lbs P = $31.12)Urea = $514 (50 lbs N = $28.01)(50 lbs. N = 1 ton additional production)50 lbs P @ 160 A = $4979.20BermudaBermudaBermuda50 lbs P50 lbs N @ 160 A = $4481.60Total = $9460.80 or $29.57/ton50 lbs P50 lbs P50 lbs P50 lbs N50 lbs N50 lbs N50 lbs N32

Soil Test for 160 acrespH = 6.4N = 3P = 10K = 355BermudaEach acre gives 1 ton160 tonsIf we fertilized 40 acres for 4 additional tons160 tons320 tons Total Production

Maximum Yield/ Minimum Inputs Fertilizer PricesDAP = $571 (50 lbs P = $31.12)Urea = $514 (50 lbs N = $28.01)(50 lbs. N = 1 ton additional production)50 lbs P @ 40 A = $1244.80BermudaBermudaBermuda50 lbs P200 lbs N @ 40 A = $4481.60Total = $5726.40 or $17.90/ton200 lbs N40% less money for same yield!What if 40 A had sufficient P?

Dont try to build up your entire property!33Summary.Fertilizer costs might look high, but we can still grow forage cheaper than we can buy it!Making the cow do the work is cheaper and easier than us providing for her.Fertility can increase yields even in dry years. In fact, fertility can prevent significant stand loss and herd liquidation.Summary.By getting a better handle on how much forage we need to produce for the year, we may be able to reduce input costs associated with providing forage off the back of a truck.Forage budgeting allows us to tailor our fertility applications to the times of the year when we get the water we need to grow the forage required by the herd.Focus on your best soils first and double up! Questions?Brian C. PughOSU Area AgronomistNortheast DistrictStan FimpleOSU Extension EducatorPawnee County

Alternative Fertilizer Trial(Sea Salts)Cody Linker & Brian C. PughLincoln Co. Oklahoma 2012-2013

Fertility TreatmentsUrea @ 20 lbs/AUrea @ 217 lbs/ASea 90 @ 5 lbs/A foliarSea 90 @ 50 lbs/A broadcastSea Minerals from AR (SMFA) @ 4 lbs/A foliarUrea 217 + Sea 90 foliarUrea 217 + SMFA foliarProjected Yield & Nutrient CostProductN %RateApplied NEst. Yield+/A$/lb NUrea46209.1360$0.88Urea462171004000$0.88Sea900 (.05)5.00250.1$2000Sea900 (.05)50.0251$2000SMFA.024.00080.032$10000Urea $811/ton Sea 90 $1/lbSMFA $2/lb

Both treatments cost $8 / AcreSelect N Source based on cost of actual N/lb!40This is based on OKC cattle prices and fertilizer prices on May 18, 2009. Gross sales value includes 90% calf crop, 525 pound weaning weight, ($110/cwt.and 10% cull cow sales($50/cwt) for gross sales per cow of $569. The hay expense is custom harvest for 2 round bales per cow ($45). Litter is valued at $37. Assumed 40 pounds of both P and K annually where N is applied. At the 5, 4, 3 acre stocking rates a 2X N rate per acre is used and only of the acreage fertilized to save on P and K expense. All 3 acres receive litter in the 2T example.

The last column is the amount left per cow above forage costs for other cow expenses such as vet-med, labor, land, supplemental feed and mineral, and equipment.

The ($22) below 2T litter is the amount that can be paid for litter to equal the commercial fertilizer price on an annual basis. This does not value the P and K available for improving soil test P values.

7 year pay at 8% on $700 cow is $135, overhead at $75. $209 subtracted from last column - ?16.40 per acre income on native versus $36/A income on 3A/cow option.LSD = 764 lbsOSU Rule of Thumb Each 50 units N applied will yield 1 additional ton of WSGA 100 lb N application as Urea (217 lbs) increased yield approximately 2 tons217 lbs Urea produced 3.6 times more forage than the untreated checkSea Salt products made no difference in yield when applied per labelConditions in 2013 were good for Bermudagrass growth

Forage Expense in Relation to Fertility Control Yield @ 1677 lbs/ATRTRate lbs/AYield lbs/AYield Improv.TRT $/A$/Additional Ton Sea90501470-207$50NASMFA4176588$8NASea9052331654$5NAUrea19.827661089$8$14.70Urea21761204443$88$39.61U+SMFA217+453913714$96$51.69U+Sea90217+557834106$93$45.30

42This is based on OKC cattle prices and fertilizer prices on May 18, 2009. Gross sales value includes 90% calf crop, 525 pound weaning weight, ($110/cwt.and 10% cull cow sales($50/cwt) for gross sales per cow of $569. The hay expense is custom harvest for 2 round bales per cow ($45). Litter is valued at $37. Assumed 40 pounds of both P and K annually where N is applied. At the 5, 4, 3 acre stocking rates a 2X N rate per acre is used and only of the acreage fertilized to save on P and K expense. All 3 acres receive litter in the 2T example.

The last column is the amount left per cow above forage costs for other cow expenses such as vet-med, labor, land, supplemental feed and mineral, and equipment.

The ($22) below 2T litter is the amount that can be paid for litter to equal the commercial fertilizer price on an annual basis. This does not value the P and K available for improving soil test P values.

7 year pay at 8% on $700 cow is $135, overhead at $75. $209 subtracted from last column - ?16.40 per acre income on native versus $36/A income on 3A/cow option.Alternative Fertilizer SummaryBase fertility on lbs supplied nutrientOver a century of University researchPut a sharp pencil to new curesTry a demo stripBuyer Beware!Liquid Lime, Microbial soil trt, fish oilIf it sounds too good to be trueit probably is!