forage fertilization - craaq
TRANSCRIPT
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Forage Fertilization
Economic vs. Environmental
Home-grown fertility - Manure
Nitrogen on pure grasses
J.H Cherney and D.J.R. Cherney
Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
Agronomic Issues
S and K on alfalfa
Society Viewpoint: Society wants farmers to adopt sustainable practices, but they don’t want to pay for it.
Farmer Viewpoint: Farmers are generally environmentalists. They also have families to feed.
“It is hard to be green when you are in the red.”
Nutrient Management Regulations
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International Plant Nutrition Institute
- Apply the right source.
- Use the right rate.
- Fertilize at the right time.
- Fertilize in the right place.
Dairy manure
0 to 180 Mg/ha fresh manure
Maximum of 45 t/ha/application
Application in Spring, after 1st, 2nd, & 3rd Cuts.
Semi-solid manure with sawdust bedding.
Manure application timing on Orchardgrass
Surface application for 5 seasons.
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1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
t D
M h
a-1
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
142004
2005
2006
2007
Year 1 not shown
High rate of manure
outyielded N fert.
Moderate rate of
manure outyielded N
fert. after two years.
Treatments not
expressed in stress
years (2007).
Manure Treatment (wet manure)
Application 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 N fert.
Spring 22.5 45 0 0 45 0 45 112
After 1st cut 22.5 45 0 0 45 0 45 84
After 2nd cut 22.5 0 45 0 45 45 45 56
After 3rd cut 22.5 0 45 90 0 90 45 0
Soil depth, inches
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16
Soil
K
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180
200
90 t/ha
135 t/ha
180 t/ha
N fertilizer
Check
90, 135 t/ha
180 t/ha
Fall of Second Season, Manure on Grass
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Soil depth, inches
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16
Soil
Nitra
te
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
90 t/ha
135 t/ha
180 t/ha
N fertilizer
Check
0, 90, 135 t/ha
180 t/ha
Fall of Second Season, Manure on Grass
Threshold between
135 and 180.
Top dress Manure applications
- Where nutrients are needed
- Use low-moderate rates
- Immediately after harvest
- Older/higher grass stands
- Limit to firm soils if possible
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% a
mm
onia
N r
em
ain
ing
0
20
40
60
80
100
0
20
40
60
80
100
Injected
Incorporated within x days
1 2 3 4 5 Not incorporated
or injected in fall
Fate of ammonia N in manure
Fresh Manure is about:
50% ammonia N
50% organic N
Improved Application Methods
(Drop hose, injectors etc.)
- Reduced ammonia loss
- More uniform application
- Less contamination
- Less odor
- Decreased runoff
May reduce yield on higher fertility sites.
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Re
lea
se
Ra
te o
f O
rga
nic
N f
rom
Ma
nure
, %
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
Application year Next year Two years
Poultry manure
Dairy manure <18% DM
Dairy manure >18% DM
Fate of organic N in manure
Manure is a good source of
nutrients that alfalfa needs: P,K,S,B
- Multiple windows for application
- Increases acreage for spreading
- Absorbs excess nitrates in soil
- Possible increased yield
- Significant benefit to alfalfa from
previous manure on corn.
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Negatives for manure on alfalfa
- Possible stand damage
(Burning or traffic damage)
- No economic value from N
- Nutrient runoff, late fall/winter
- Pathogens
- Increased weeds
Commercial N fertilizer
Price
(d
olla
rs/lb n
utr
ien
t)
Price trends for urea, triple superphosphate,
and potassium chloride fertilizers.
Fertilizer costs have doubled in the past 10 years.
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Nitrogen on Pure Grass
What grasses do we use?
Decades
1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010
% o
f seed s
old
in N
YS
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
Timothy
Smooth Brome
Orchardgrass
Reed Canarygrass
Tall fescue
Ryegrass
Grass seed sold in NY
2015
Timothy
Tall fescue
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Fertilizer N applied per season, kg/ha
0 100 200 300 400
Hay Y
ield
, t/
ha
0
2
4
6
8
10
Dry year
Wet year
Normal year
Nitrogen Management
Very wet year
Spring N application, kg/ha
0 50 100 150 200 250 300
CP
, %
5
10
15
20
25
5
10
15
20
25
Timothy
Reed canarygrass
Reed canary is 2.5% units higher in CP.
(Average of 3 sites, 3 years, 4 reps)
2-3000 ppm
nitrate-N
Linear rate from 0-134 kg N
0.13% units CP/kg N fert.
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Sensors
Yield measurement with C-Dax
Pasture meter
Rising Plate meter: 250 readings/500 m
C-Dax: 19,000 readings/500 m
Map-based
variable rate
N fertilizer.
Sensor-based Variable Rate application:
Each spray nozzle with an NDVI sensor.
Liquid N applied
to pastures.
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Tasmanian Inst. of Ag. Dairy Centre
Similar forage yield with 20% less N fertilizer.
Variable Rate N on pastures
Sulfur Issues
Sulfur Removal with Alfalfa
Crop nutrient removal:
Nutrient %* Alfalfa hay yield (t DM/ha) 3 6 12
N 3.40 102 204 408 P 0.27 8 16 33 K 2.34 70 141 281
Ca 1.51 45 91 182 Mg 0.31 9 19 38 S 0.27 8 16 33 *Percentages from DairyOne Forage Library (legume hay) – 11-11-2014
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Sulfur Deficiency
Sulfur deficiency can lead to lower crop yields, a crude protein deficiency,
reduced milk production, and decreases in overall feed quality.
+S +S
Average total S deposition in NY is now less than 9 lbs S/acre
1985 1986 1984
Sulfate Ion Wet Deposition
1985-2008
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1995 1996 1994
Sulfate Ion Wet Deposition
1985-2008
2005 2006 2004
Sulfate Ion Wet Deposition
1985-2008
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Sulfate Ion Wet Deposition
1985-2008
2008 2009 2007
1985
Sulfate Ion Wet Deposition
1985-2008
2008
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Tissue testing for sulfur
y = 18,5x + 45,017 R² = 0,8721
60
70
80
90
100
110
120
0,0 1,0 2,0 3,0 4,0
Rela
tive
yie
ld (
%)
Tissue S (g kg-1)
Critical value: 0.27% S
Ketterings et al., 2011
pH too low
y = -0,1755x2 + 6,1481x + 56,92 R² = 0,9371
60
70
80
90
100
110
120
0 5 10 15 20 25 30
Rela
tive
yie
ld (
%)
CaCl2 or SrCl2 extractable soil S (ppm)
pH too low!
Ketterings et al., 2011
Soil testing for sulfur
Critical value: 8 ppm
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0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
20
Oct-00 Feb-02 Jun-03 Nov-04 Mar-06 Aug-07 Dec-08 May-10 Sep-11
Soil t
est S
(m
g k
g-1
)
Timing of sampling
Inorganic N
Compost N-based
Compost P-based
Liguid manure N-based and surface applied
Liguid manure P-based and incorporated
Critical soil test S value
Rapid decline with crop removal
over years
Sulfur Management
Summary Manure applied recently?
• If yes, no need for sulfur
Other fields:
• Tissue test (top 6 inches, early bloom, 2nd/3rd cut):
• If <0.25%, add sulfur (22-34 kg S/ha)
• Soil test (0-8 inch depth, 1st cut):
• If < 8 ppm Cornell soil test S, add S
• Mehlich or Morgan are not reliable for S
• Experiment:
• Apply ½ lbs gypsum (39 kg S/ha) to
a 10x10 feet area after 1st cutting
• Check results before 2nd cutting
K Issues
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Potassium supplying
power of
New York State soils.
Colors range from very high to very low.
Potassium deficient plants are more susceptible to winter injury.
Potassium Deficiency
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Potassium Removal with Alfalfa
Crop nutrient removal:
Nutrient %* Alfalfa hay yield (t DM/ha) 3 6 12
N 3.40 102 204 408 P 0.27 8 16 33 K 2.34 70 141 281 Ca 1.51 45 91 182 Mg 0.31 9 19 38 S 0.27 8 16 33 *Percentages from DairyOne Forage Library (legume hay) – 11-11-2014
8x
0
2 000
4 000
6 000
8 000
10 000
12 000
14 000
N a
nd
K2O
us
e U
S (
1,0
00 s
ho
rt t
on
s)
Potash (K2O)
Nitrogen
2009
1960 2013
Potassium Chloride Use in US
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Soil Test K Decline with Alfalfa
2006 Spring
2006 Fall
2007 Spring
2007 Fall
2008 Spring
2008 Fall
2009 Spring
2009 Fall
2010 Spring
2010 Fall
Inorganic N 138 114 136 128 108 120 102 72 124 112
Manure P 200 172 176 160 122 146 128 104 144 138
Compost P 186 164 178 156 144 136 126 88 136 122
Compost N 262 224 238 196 178 176 152 114 150 136
Manure N 278 270 296 278 250 250 238 176 216 166
d
d
cc
cc
c
c
bb
bc
bc bc
bc
bc
bc
bc
bc
bab
cd
cd
bc
bcbc
bcbc
bc
b
ab
ab
ab
b
b
b b
b
b
b
ab
aa
a
a
a aa
a
a
a
0
50
100
150
200
250
300M
org
an s
oil
tes
t K
(lb
s/ac
re)
0.00
0.50
1.00
1.50
2.00
2.50
0.0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0 1.2 1.4 1.6
K c
on
ten
t (%
)
Yield of 3rd cut (tons/acre)
A
Tissue (0-6 inches)
Whole plant
0.00
0.50
1.00
1.50
2.00
2.50
0.0 1.0 2.0 3.0 4.0 5.0 6.0 7.0
K c
on
ten
t (%
)
Season yield (tons/acre)
B
Tissue (0-6 inches)
Whole plant
Tissue K and Yield not Correlated.
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On-Farm Alfalfa Trials in NY
y = -1E-05x2 + 0,0057x + 0,4047 R² = 0,8588
0,60
0,65
0,70
0,75
0,80
0,85
0,90
0,95
1,00
0 50 100 150 200 250
Re
lati
ve Y
ield
Cornell Morgan soil test K (lbs/acre)
• Initial critical value
STP ~ 150 lbs
K/acre …when the
stand had 50% or
more alfalfa.
• No response to K
with <50% alfalfa.
Potassium Management
Summary
Manure applied recently?
• If yes, probably no need for K fertilizer
Other fields:
• Forget about tissue testing for now…
Soil test (0-8 inch depth, 1st cut):
• Use interpretation tables
• Experiment:
• Apply ¼ kg 0-0-60 (145 kg K2O /ha) to a
10x10 feet area after 1st cutting; check before
2nd cut
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Agronomic Summary
Nutrient management can pay, both
agronomically and environmentally
Incorporate manure if at all possible.
Consider variable rate N application.
Monitor S and K status with alfalfa.
Animal Issues
Animal Issues
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Cow well-being
Growing Environmental Concerns
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As more producers try to minimize environmental impact and be sustainable, fertilization of homegrown feeds is increasingly important.
Homegrown feeds
• Consider the balance between inputs and measured outputs of the nutrients. Relative amounts of NPK required by pasture and arable crops differ from elements in manure; manure is too enriched in P relative to N.
Nutrient balances =
• Grazing systems affect soil and more particularly water courses if manure or silage is not stored properly and leaks out. The resultant point source contamination can affect soil for many years, destroy aquatic life and make water unfit for consumption.
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“As simple” as understanding the nutrient requirements of dairy cows at various stages of lactation, and combining various feed ingredients to meet those needs in a cost-effective manner.
Dairy Nutrition =
Determine the relative ability of cows to turn feed nutrients into milk or milk components.
50 kg milk/33.3 kg of DM feed = 1.5 FE
52 kg milk/33.3 kg of DM feed = 1.56 FE
Feed Efficiency =
Feed efficiency becomes increasingly important during times of tight profit margins.
In the simplest terms it is the kg of milk produced per kg of dry matter consumed.
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Mixtures with higher Quality
1. Harvest earlier 2. Higher quality components 3. Less grass in mixture
Higher quality components: 1. Low-lignin alfalfa 2. Sparse-heading orchardgrass
Less Grass in the mixture: 1. Sparse-heading orchardgrass 2. Meadow fescue 3. Lower grass seeding rate
Quality of Alfalfa and Grass - May 29
Alfalfa: 30% CP, 28% NDF, 60% NDFD Grass: 19% CP, 54% NDF, 80% NDFD
Midwest Nutritionist Survey Major Challenges to dairy farmers
1. Forage quality consistency
What has the greatest impact on forage quality consistency of mixtures?
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Evaluation of Alfalfa-Grass Quality
in the Spring
Quality equations were developed
based primarily on:
a. maximum alfalfa height and
b. percentage of grass in the mixed stand.
Goal:
Develop a simple tool for estimating
NDF content of alfalfa-grass mixtures.
Need a prediction better than a guess
1. Capture digital images from representative samples of mixed stands.
2. Determine stand composition values for each sample.
3. Create a software system to predict composition.
4. Generate a free web service on http://www.forages.org.
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Evaluating stand composition
of mixtures post-harvest.
DairyOne has analyzed 540 alfalfa-grass samples of known composition, for NIRS calibration.
It is possible to calibrate NIR to measure alfalfa% in hay silage samples.
Alfalfa% Post-harvest (using NIRS)
1. Help decide when to start treating the stand like grass (fertilization).
2. Provide info about crop rotation.
3. Allow ranking harvest order of fields for the following spring. 4. Nutrient management record keeping. 5. Assessment of stands with ASB.
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Dietary Protein = Affects both dairy cow
nutrition and overall
farm sustainability.
(1) effects on dry matter intake (DMI), milk
yield, and milk composition,
(2) effects on feed costs,
(3) environmental effects, and
(4) possible effects on reproduction
efficiency.
Dietary protein has:
Feed
Milk
Cow
Volatilization
Excreta
Grazing
Housing
Volatilization Volatilization
Volatilization
Excreta
Application Storage
Loss to soils, groundwater, biota
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These interventions, however, have to be balanced with the risk of loss in milk production. If animal requirements for metabolizable protein are not met, long-term production cannot be sustained.
Lower Dietary Protein = (1) Reduces N input. (2) Improves N utilization efficiency. (3) Reduces N loss from manure. (4) Reduces feed cost and improves overall farm profitability.
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plus feed protein that escapes ruminal
degradation (but is digested and absorbed in the small intestine).
Metabolizable Protein = digestible protein
(digestible total
amino acids) that
is provided to the
animal through ruminally-synthesized microbial protein,
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Uses accumulated knowledge about feed
composition, digestion, and metabolism in
supplying nutrients to meet requirements.
Cornell Net Carbohydrate and Protein System = (CNCPS)
Predicts: (1) Feed utilization, (2) Animal performance, (3) Nutrient excretion
For dairy and beef cattle.
have forced the animal industry to re-evaluate the levels formulated in diets. It has been demonstrated in numerous research trials that excess P intake equates to excess P out in the manure.
Environmental Concerns with Phosphorus (P) =
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Based on the herds in this project, fecal phosphorus below 0.80% is achievable.
Fecal Phosphorous levels = Lactating dairy cattle exceeding from 0.55 to 0.80% (DM basis) have opportunity for improvement.
Herds implement precision feeding and remove all inorganic phosphorus can maintain these levels. Some contracted farms are observing fecal phosphorus levels over 1.0% (DM basis).
Ruminant trials (sheep, beef and dairy) also conclude that free choice feeding has many limitations and in today’s environment, and there is little to no benefit to this practice for dairy producers. Virginia Ishler, Penn State
Cows allowed access free choice minerals had a greater concentration of P in the feces. Numerous research studies cited (2001 NRC), state that once the cow’s requirement for P is met, excess will be excreted in the feces.
P Consumption to meet Nutrient Regulations Field trial, Okeechobee, Florida, 1986-87
Effect of feeding free choice minerals on P excretion.
Cows received 0.52% P, plus free choice minerals.
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Pasture must be rotated, supplements must
be provided, and animals must be observed
on a regular basis.
Pasture
Can be a cost-effective feed
for dry cows and heifers, but
must be managed to ensure
animals meet performance goals.
Potassium and Pastures K in excess of 3%.
(1) remove dry cows from high K pastures during
the last 3 to 4 weeks of pregnancy,
Potential health problems,
specifically milk fever, when
fed during the latter parts of
pregnancy. Alternatives:
(3) dilute the effects of the high-K pastures with
forages and feeds containing lower K levels.
(2) establish pastures with lower K levels
specifically for dry cows (perhaps through
strategic fertilization),
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Besides feeding low K forage, feeding a negative DCAD is one of the best tools we have for preventing Hypocalcemia or milk fever.
Dietary Cation-Anion Difference (DCAD) K and N fertilization can greatly impact concentrations of Ca and Mg in grass herbage, impacting DCAD [DCAD = meq (Na + K) - (Cl + a)].
DCAD impacts blood acid-base status directly and predictably.
Both underfeeding and over-feeding and result in reduced intakes and milk production.
S plays an important role in the in the DCAD of up-close dairy cows and has been used extensively to control DCAD.
Sulfur and DCAD
Improving environmental conditions may actually raise a need for more close monitoring of sulfur and other trace minerals in forages.
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THE END