With the cost of producing agricultural products increasing, it is more important than ever to make wise decisions when buying fertilizer for your operation so that you accomplish your goals without spending more money than is necessary.
With hay season starting to wrap up and our summer drought still lingering in the area, now is a good time to begin making plans for the 2024 forage year. Making hay is stressful for your soil. A ton of bermudagrass hay removes approximately 50 pounds of Nitrogen, 14 pounds of Phosphorous, and 45 pounds of Potassium, along with lesser amounts of other nutrients. You must either fertilize adequately to meet your production goals, or have enough nutrients stored in the soil bank and available to the plants to make up the difference.
Without taking a representative soil test of your field, it is impossible to know accurately what is in the soil and what you need to apply to meet your production goals. To help forage producers make better fertilizer decisions, the Bowie County Extension Office is offering a Fall Soil Testing Drive from October 2nd to October 20th. During the drive, producers can receive a reduced price on soil tests from the Texas A&M Soil Testing Lab and save the cost of shipping the samples to the lab through the mail.
