Other methods and new management practices can help reduce your fertilizer bill
Whether the motivation is for economical or environmental reasons, producers looking to reduce their commercial fertilizer use have a variety of options. Producers may want to pursue organic alternatives or implement new management practices – all of which will help to minimize dependence on commercial fertilizers.
Organic Alternatives
There are organic alternatives on the market that will provide the same nutrient value as commercial fertilizers. Poultry litter, cattle manure, biosolids and composted materials are all good options.
A popular organic material spread on many farms throughout the region is poultry litter. It is a natural option that is abundant in the Ozarks. “Poultry litter has all the nutrients needed to get a plant crop growing in the first year, where a commercial fertilizer often fails. It has microbes and organic material that can help build soil structure,” Brian Pugh, area agronomy specialist with Oklahoma State University (OSU) Extension, explained.
An organic alternative, like poultry litter, also possesses secondary nutrients and micronutrients as well as providing a liming effect. In years past, producers could purchase organic alternatives at a more economical rate compared to commercial fertilizers. However, the market has shifted, and the price of the organic materials tend to trend with commercial market fertilizers.
When utilizing organic materials, agronomists remind producers to have the material tested before spreading it throughout their operation. The nutrient content of organic matter varies greatly depending on where, how and what was sourced.
Focus on Fertile Ground
There are multiple management practices producers can implement that will help to reduce the need for commercial fertilizer. One strategy entails applying fertilizer to the most nutrient rich portion of the property. Utilizing the results of a soil test, producers can choose to apply only the needed nutrient or nutrients to the most fertile ground. Though they would still be incorporating fertilizer, it allows producers to utilize it more efficiently.
Incorporate Legumes
Working legumes into the operation is another way to reduce the need for commercial fertilizer. “Legumes are a good option because they fix their own nitrogen, and they can add one to two tons of additional production per acre per year (per OSU trials). That is significant – that’s equivalent to 50 to 100 pounds of actual nitrogen per acre per year,” Pugh said. Additionally, the quality of the forage is better with legumes in the system than without, resulting in improved animal performance.
Add Native Grasses
Yet another option includes incorporating native grasses into the operation’s grazing system. Grasses such as big bluestem, little bluestem, switchgrass, Indian grass, or any other components of the original prairie are recommended. The native grasses are highly adapted to the low phosphorus, potassium and pH levels in soils. “They can make significantly more yield than unfertilized introduced forages like Bermuda grass,” Pugh commented.
Weed Control
Attention to weed control can make an impact on the need for commercial fertilizers. “If it is a sheer economic decision, then if half of the pasture is unpalatable weeds and half is desirable forage simply by removing those unpalatable weeds those resources go into useable forage,” Pugh explained. “So, we have essentially doubled our forage production with a 50 percent stand of weeds by simply controlling those weeds at a young stage.”
Stocking Rates and Rotational Grazing
Producers can more efficiently utilize the forage they grow by operating with proper stocking rates and implementing some form of a rotational grazing system. Allowing some pastures to rest and giving plants the opportunity to develop additional root mass below ground produces healthier soil. When given the opportunity, part of a perennial root mass dies off each year and then breaks down into organic matter, that organic matter then stores nutrients for future use.
Graze More Ground
One final management strategy that would decrease the dependence on commercial fertilizers is one that places emphasis on grazing fields instead of cutting them for hay. “The biggest thing I could tell people is try not to hay ground but graze that ground. Cows recycle about 90 percent of the nutrients they consume, the nutrients come right back out the back end of them,” Pugh said.
If producers are utilizing the acres for hay, they are removing all the nutrients that were above ground. Hay fields require regular fertilization to keep up with the amount of nutrients removed from the pasture. Pugh recommends producers who cut back on the amount of hay they feed, to evaluate their stocking density and make sure it matches the carrying capacity of the property. “By doing so we don’t have to hay as much, and therefore we don’t have to move those nutrients around quite as much,” Pugh added.
