Henderson County Agriview
By Rick Hirsch

After the last couple of years of drought, hay supplies in the area are short. Cool-season pastures have grown well this spring and producers with excess forage are considering baling these pastures.

Baling hay this time of year comes with some challenges. Drying time is longer due to cooler temperatures and higher humidity. The chance of hay getting rained on prior to baling is greater. And, it may be tempting to bale at higher-thannormal moisture content than during the summer.

According to one reference, "Southern Forages," the dryer the hay is when rain occurs, the greater the damage. Rain is likely to damage legume hay such as alfalfa or vetch more than grass hay. However, delayed harvest due to concern about rain often results in more forage quality loss than does rainfall. This is because quality decreases as the forage matures.

Hay baled at too high a moisture level can heat. In addition to causing reduced quality, the hay could catch on fire. Because of the possibility of fire, it is recommended to not store fresh green hay tightly against older, dryer hay.

If moisture and heating is a concern, hay should be monitored for increases in temperature. Readings should be taken at several locations and depths. Maximum temperature usually occurs within a week of baling.

When hay temperatures remain below 120 degrees F, it is considered safe; between 120 and 140 degrees F is considered a caution zone, and the hay should be closely watched. If the temperature goes above 160 degrees F, a fire is likely. Hay that is heating to an unacceptable level should be moved to a location where fire will not destroy anything except the hay. The danger of fire will generally subside within two to three weeks.

The forage harvested as hay will remove all nutrients in the grass and there is no recycling. As a result, a hay meadow requires a higher fertility level than pastures. A 6-ton hay crop each year will remove 300 pounds of nitrogen, 84 pounds phosphorus and 252 pounds of potassium. If these amounts of nutrients are not applied each year, the forage will mine the soil. After a period of time, the soil fertility level will decline and yields will decrease. It is essential to maintain soil fertility to maintain grass stands, yields and quality.

Nitrogen and potassium are normally low in East Texas fields. Where hay is harvested 3-4 times a year, I would suggest that a 1-1 ratio of nitrogen and potassium be used.

The soil test report will list in the center of the page the suggested fertilizer rates in pounds per acre for nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. The phosphorus and potassium rates are for the year and the nitrogen requirement is for the first fertilization. A following statement will suggest the nitrogen rate for additional fertilizations.

Remember, the amount of fertilizer recommended by the soil testing laboratory is not absolute. The fertilizer rate is only a suggested guideline. Producers will know much more about a particular field than the laboratory and the suggested rate may need to be modified by experience.

Generally, fertilizer blends such as 19-4-17 and 21-8-17 will meet the nutrient requirement for Bermuda grass and Bahia grass meadows. These blends are close to the ratio of nutrients required by grasses. In hay meadows having a medium high soil phosphorus level, a 20-0-20 fertilizer blend will work well, but a soil test is needed each year to prevent phosphorus from becoming deficient.

A 3-1-2 fertilizer blend will supply the nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium for the first cutting. However, if only nitrogen is applied for the second cutting, the grass will remove the phosphorus and potassium from the soil. When phosphorus and potassium are not present in sufficient amounts, the forage yields and stands will decrease, even if there is sufficient nitrogen.

Phosphorus and potassium fertilizer may be applied in the fall or early spring to provide the necessary nutrients and then following each application with nitrogen only. If more than 100 pounds of potassium are required, it will be beneficial to make split applications. Usually a thin strand of grass is a result of low potassium. All plant nutrients are needed in the correct amount to maintain stands and yields.