Chemical fertiliser residuals when taking 3or4 cuts of silage?

[Jockers84]

Straight to the point here - In areas where it's possible to get 3 or 4 cuts of silage, I'm wondering if there's any affect on the feed from residual chemical fertiliser? I don't read the FW but a friend had mentioned an article where the farmer takes 4 cuts with 30days between each, I though the fert would be active for 6 weeks so would there not be a noticeable amount in the crop? Or could it be that the silage makes a smaller portion of the ration so doesn't matter too much? Or is it possibly a liquid fert that works/dissipates quicker?

I doubt if any of the above will actually apply where I am as the grass hasn't started to grow yet just curious that's all.....

Cheers

 

[Skintagain]

Straight to the point here - In areas where it's possible to get 3 or 4 cuts of silage, I'm wondering if there's any affect on the feed from residual chemical fertiliser? I don't read the FW but a friend had mentioned an article where the farmer takes 4 cuts with 30days between each, I though the fert would be active for 6 weeks so would there not be a noticeable amount in the crop? Or could it be that the silage makes a smaller portion of the ration so doesn't matter too much? Or is it possibly a liquid fert that works/dissipates quicker?

I doubt if any of the above will actually apply where I am as the grass hasn't started to grow yet just curious that's all.....

Cheers

Applications will suit cutting intervals

 

[Al R]

I know some on 28 days, 5-6 cuts of each. The rule of thumb was always fast growing grass needs 2 Units of N per day, 2 units K and 1 unit P. Some of the best silage I’ve ever seen when feeding out!

 

[Derrick Hughes]

Follow the 2 units a day should be fine
Sunshine helps mind

 

[Mouser]

Straight to the point here - In areas where it's possible to get 3 or 4 cuts of silage, I'm wondering if there's any affect on the feed from residual chemical fertiliser? I don't read the FW but a friend had mentioned an article where the farmer takes 4 cuts with 30days between each, I though the fert would be active for 6 weeks so would there not be a noticeable amount in the crop? Or could it be that the silage makes a smaller portion of the ration so doesn't matter too much? Or is it possibly a liquid fert that works/dissipates quicker?

I doubt if any of the above will actually apply where I am as the grass hasn't started to grow yet just curious that's all.....

Cheers

6 weeks is the traditional thinking from when everyone applied 3 bags to the acre. 1 bag is used in 2 weeks so apply accordingly.

 

[Exfarmer]

Straight to the point here - In areas where it's possible to get 3 or 4 cuts of silage, I'm wondering if there's any affect on the feed from residual chemical fertiliser? I don't read the FW but a friend had mentioned an article where the farmer takes 4 cuts with 30days between each, I though the fert would be active for 6 weeks so would there not be a noticeable amount in the crop? Or could it be that the silage makes a smaller portion of the ration so doesn't matter too much? Or is it possibly a liquid fert that works/dissipates quicker?

I doubt if any of the above will actually apply where I am as the grass hasn't started to grow yet just curious that's all.....

Cheers

Normally the grass will only take up as much of the nutrient as it can process into growth. However there can be situations where there is a superflous levels of nitrogen in the plant, which has very occasionally gone on to cause issues. Normally this would not be an issue to the grazing stock, as ruminants can handle a large amount of free nitrogen which is utilised by the rumen bacteria to produce protein.
Todays application levels of product are dwarfed by levels applied in the past. It was not uncommon to apply 400 units of nitrogen to grass in the form of ammonia injected into the soil in one pass in the spring.
This practice was abandoned due to the losses which could be experienced in a dry spring from the ammonia gassing off. Sometimes after injecting these very high levels the grass would turn blue and it was not deemed safe to cut or graze it in such a state

 

[Boysground]

Target 6 weeks between 3 cuts here. That grass is a mix with only Italians in it. I work on 2.5 kg N/day/ha. A little more for 1st cut. I don’t have any problems with silage quality.

This year where 1st cut is 3 weeks late I’ll probably put a little less on as the grass will just want to send a seed head out quickly

Bg

 

[Nearly]

As above, 2 units N / day utilised in good conditions.
Plants will take up N if it's available at higher rates than this, even to toxic levels in the plant. That's why a spill of fert kills a patch, it's called 'luxury uptake'
Excess N in plant turns to ammonia in silage which reduces palatability.
From grassland lectures 30 years ago.

 

[Jockers84]

Thanks for the replies folks, interesting read, got a better handle on it now. Grass still isn’t growing, maybe next year eh?