Is it too early for fertilizer for silage

cacs

Have slurry out since the last week in feb. well washed by now 3000 gallons to the acre. Hoping to give it a light rub of the tine harrow next week stirr it all up. I try to cut silage by the 1st of june. Cut it a few a years ago fertilizer was only in 6 weeks and the silqge was as black as muck. Got it tested too much nitrogen. It was a dull year and old grass. Would not cut it again less than 7 weeks. is too early to put silage fertilizer out will it be wasted.

Grueller

cathal irwin wrote: »

Have slurry out since the last week in feb. well washed by now 3000 gallons to the acre. Hoping to give it a light rub of the tine harrow next week stirr it all up. I try to cut silage by the 1st of june. Cut it a few a years ago fertilizer was only in 6 weeks and the silqge was as black as muck. Got it tested too much nitrogen. It was a dull year and old grass. Would not cut it again less than 7 weeks. is too early to put silage fertilizer out will it be wasted.

I'll be at it next Saturday I hope. Looking like a dry week and trafficability should be fine by then.

cacs

Grueller wrote: »

I'll be at it next Saturday I hope. Looking like a dry week and trafficability should be fine by then.

Thats my thinking take the weather windows

Say my name

Went out two and half weeks ago here for silage.
Soil temperatures were suitable as was ground conditions for grass to take it in.

For future reference if you don't want black silage a common rule is grass takes in 2 units of nitrogen/day and you want all that used up before cutting.

cacs

Say my name wrote: »

Went out two and half weeks ago here for silage.
Soil temperatures were suitable as was ground conditions for grass to take it in.

For future reference if you don't want black silage a common rule is grass takes in 2 units of nitrogen/day and you want all that used up before cutting.

2 units doesn’t always apply as I learnt. Dull weather and old sward that is not able to utilize the nitrogen to its full potential will reduce the unit value per day. I spread 80 units of nitrogen, left it six weeks wilt it for 30-36 hours still black as muck. Last year left 7 weeks all was fine

Say my name

cathal irwin wrote: »

2 units doesn’t always apply as I learnt. Dull weather and old sward that is not able to utilize the nitrogen to its full potential will reduce the unit value per day. I spread 80 units of nitrogen, left it six weeks wilt it for 30-36 hours still black as muck. Last year left 7 weeks all was fine

80 units would be 40 days going on the above rule. 6 weeks would be 42 days.
Depending on type of nitrogen or weather it could be a week before it starts to work.
CAN takes two days to start. Urea longer. Some say ten days even.
You've time on your side this year anyways.

Actually on the topic of fertilizer. Plants if heavily fertilized don't give out as much exudates to their microbial partners which in turn can sometimes shut down the whole symbiosis and thus heavily fertilized crops don't get a full complement of micronutrients leading to happy livestock mineral salespeople.
The biology makes the minerals available.

Hard Knocks

Was thinking of Sowing Fertiliser Next weekend with intention of cutting at the end of May. The Meadows are old grass which are P2, K4 & low in Lime.
Giving the current weather, would it be foolish to go with 2B/Ac Urea, 2B/Ac SuperPhos and 1B/AC Gran lime?

memorystick

Put out 4 bags of Cut Squart last Saturday. Is that enough?

uck51js9zml2yt

Put out 18-6-12, urea and gran lime last week.

Waiting on slurry in the next couple of weeks. Had hoped he'd do it while I was on holidays but no such luck.

_Brian

Plan to put out 18-6-12 at the weekend

Hard Knocks

Shepard Ancient Theorem wrote: »

Put out 18-6-12, urea and gran lime last week.

Waiting on slurry in the next couple of weeks. Had hoped he'd do it while I was on holidays but no such luck.

Is that what you always do?

TooOldBoots

Fields closed since early October. Slurry out since early feb. I'm going with a bag of Urea to the acre now. Its half ways there at the moment so it should be ready with a massive crop by by mid-May.
Plan is to apply another coating of slurry + CAN 2 weeks later then and cut no. 2 by end of June

uck51js9zml2yt

Hard Knocks wrote: »

Is that what you always do?

First year with a bit of land (4.5 acres) and trying to get the readings improved.
Didn't have much call for slurry in Dublin

White Clover

Hard Knocks wrote: »

Was thinking of Sowing Fertiliser Next weekend with intention of cutting at the end of May. The Meadows are old grass which are P2, K4 & low in Lime.
Giving the current weather, would it be foolish to go with 2B/Ac Urea, 2B/Ac SuperPhos and 1B/AC Gran lime?

Way too much N there for an old sward imo. 60 units max. Concentrate on the ph, get that right and it's easy sort the remainder.

Hard Knocks

White Clover wrote: »

Way too much N there for an old sward imo. 60 units max. Concentrate on the ph, get that right and it's easy sort the remainder.

I thought it was 100 units to the acre for new reseed & reduced to 80 for older

anthony500_1

Shepard Ancient Theorem wrote:

Put out 18-6-12, urea and gran lime last week.

Is gran lime ok to use 6 or 8 weeks before cutting silage??? I know regular lime is out for sure

Hard Knocks

anthony500_1 wrote: »

Is gran lime ok to use 6 or 8 weeks before cutting silage??? I know regular lime is out for sure

Yes, Gran Line is OK.
Going using it myself

Hershall

Spread fertiliser on silage ground last friday had intended to roll tomorrow weather permitting. Theres about 4 inches of grass on fields. Intend to cut third week of may. I have a full tank of slurry but would i be as far on to put that out after cutting at this stage?

Mortelaro

Hershall wrote: »

Spread fertiliser on silage ground last friday had intended to roll tomorrow weather permitting. Theres about 4 inches of grass on fields. Intend to cut third week of may. I have a full tank of slurry but would i be as far on to put that out after cutting at this stage?

After cutting!!

White Clover

Hard Knocks wrote: »

I thought it was 100 units to the acre for new reseed & reduced to 80 for older

Older swards are much slower to take up N. You'd be better off cutting early after putting out 60 units and go again with 40 units. 2 bags of urea is 92 units which I think is too much.

lab man

Lads I put 25 ×1600 gals of slurry on 13 acres there on Monday I'm thinking of putting 1 bag of urea per acre and 2 of 18 6 12 per acre on it now would it be too much thanks lab man

Freejin

I know the accepted rule of thumb for first cut silage is to allow 2 days growth for each unit nitrogen applied to ensure its all used before cutting. Just wondering is second cut recommendation the same.....fertilizer out since 5th June good crop of stuff there now though

trixi2011

Freejin wrote: »

I know the accepted rule of thumb for first cut silage is to allow 2 days growth for each unit nitrogen applied to ensure its all used before cutting. Just wondering is second cut recommendation the same.....fertilizer out since 5th June good crop of stuff there now though

Think it's 2 units a day used in a silage crop . Putting in second cut here atm got 80 units 23rd of may

TooOldBoots

Freejin wrote: »

I know the accepted rule of thumb for first cut silage is to allow 2 days growth for each unit nitrogen applied to ensure its all used before cutting. Just wondering is second cut recommendation the same.....fertilizer out since 5th June good crop of stuff there now though

Too early if it has gotten a lot of N. You'd be better off waiting the 8 weeks+ for the second cut or else you'll have very leafy soft bales which could go black with the Nitrogen

Mooooo

Freejin wrote: »

I know the accepted rule of thumb for first cut silage is to allow 2 days growth for each unit nitrogen applied to ensure its all used before cutting. Just wondering is second cut recommendation the same.....fertilizer out since 5th June good crop of stuff there now though

How much did you put out? Growth has been excellent in that period so if it's 70 units or less be confident enough. Just get it tested if you want