Abstract

Producers can improve soil fertility by feeding

hay on pastures. The winter hay feeding season

in Arkansas is usually from November 15-March

31. Cattlemen can feed hay in a manner to

distribute the nutrients across the field.

In the hay feeding demonstrations, producers

have the option of feeding the hay in a

concentrated area or moving the feeding area

within a designated field each time a bale of hay

is fed. Optimum soil fertility for mixed warm and

cool season grasses is phosphorus (P) levels

between 72-100 pounds per acre and potassium

(K) levels between 262-350 pounds per acre.

Soil samples were taken in the designated hay

feeding area before hay feeding began and

again in the spring when hay feeding was over.

Forage samples from the hay were taken to

determine the amount of nutrients in a bale of

hay. Records were kept on the number of bales

fed and any supplemental feed fed in the

demonstration field. Based on the data

collected from the demonstration, the amount of

nutrients applied to the field from the hay can be

calculated and then compared to the change in

soil fertility.

Baxter County’s hay feeding demonstrations, as

well as in six other counties, has shown soil

fertility improvement by feeding hay in that area

of the field.

In summary, moving the hay feeding area within

a designated field each time hay is fed will help

to build soil test phosphorus and potassium

levels. Preference should be given to fields with

lower soil fertility. Increasing soil fertility levels

strengthens the existing pasture. The plants will

have better root growth, increased persistence

and yield.

Hay Feeding Helps to Build Soil Fertility

Keaton, *M.D.¹, Jennings, J.A.², Simon, K.J.³

¹ CEA – Staff Chair, U of A Cooperative Extension Service – Baxter County, Mtn. Home, AR 72653

² Professor Extension Forages, Arkansas Cooperative Extension, State Office, Little Rock, AR 72203

³ Extension Program Associate Forages, Arkansas Cooperative Extension, State Office, Little Rock, AR 72203

Producers can improve soil fertility by feeding

hay on pastures. The winter hay feeding

season in Arkansas is usually from mid-

November to the end of March. Cattlemen can

feed hay in a manner to distribute the nutrients

across the field.

Summary

Moving the hay feeding area within a

designated field each time hay is fed will help

to build soil test phosphorus and potassium

levels as well as increase the percent organic

matter. Preference should be given to fields

with lower soil fertility. Increasing soil fertility

levels strengthens the existing pasture. The

plants will have better root growth, increased

persistence and yield.

Baxter County’s hay feeding demonstrations,

as well as in six other counties, has shown soil

fertility improvement by feeding hay in that area

of the field.

Procedure

In the hay feeding demonstrations, producers

have the option of feeding the hay in a

concentrated area or moving the feeding area

within a designated field each time a bale of

hay is fed. In Baxter County, two

demonstrations were conducted. In one, the

hay was fed in a ring feeder and moved each

time a bale of hay was fed. In the other, the

hay was unrolled each time and fed across

the designated feeding area. Soil samples

were taken in the designated hay feeding

area before hay feeding began and again in

the spring when hay feeding was over.

Forage samples from the hay were taken to

determine the amount of nutrients in a bale of

hay. Records were kept on the number of

bales fed and any supplemental feed fed in

the demonstration field. Each bale of hay had

an average nutrient content of 8.9 lbs. N, 1 lb.

P and 7 lbs. K. At current commercial fertilizer

prices each bale had a $12.15 worth of

nutrients.

YELL

BENTON CARROLL BOONE

MARION

LAFAYETTE

INDEPENDENCE

BAXTER FULTON RANDOLPH CLAY

GREENE

CRAIGHEAD MISSISSIPPI

POINSETT

CROSS

CRITTENDEN

ST. FRANCIS

LEE

PHILLIPS

DESHA

CHICOT

ASHLEY

DREW

LINCOLN

ARKANSAS JEFFERSON

CLEVELAND

BRADLEY

CALHOUN

UNION COLUMBIA

MILLER

LITTLE RIVER

SEVIER

HOWARD

HEMPSTEAD NEVADA

PIKE CLARK

DALLAS

HOT SPRING GRANT

OUACHITA

POLK MONTGOMERY GARLAND SALINE

SCOTT

PERRY

PULASKI LONOKE PRAIRIE

MONROE

WHITE

WOODRUFF

CLEBURNE VAN BUREN

POPE

FAULKNER

CONWAY

LOGAN

JOHNSON

SEBASTIAN

CRAWFORD

WASHINGTON

FRANKLIN

MADISON NEWTON SEARCY

STONE

IZARD SHARP LAWRENCE

JACKSON

Results

Hay Feeding Moved Evenly

Around a Designated Area

Hay Feeding Concentrated

to One Area

Objective

County P lbs/ac K lbs/ac Organic

Matter

Baxter

(Ring

Feeder)

+86 +466 +1.7

Baxter

(Unrolled)

+50 +510 +1.7

Cleburne +22 +170 +2.4

Drew +20 +186 +0.7

White +22 +172

Yell +143 +342

County P lbs/ac K lbs/ac Organic

Matter

Bradley +216 +1283 +13.2

Union +734 +2673 +1.45