Return on Investment of Your Forage System Fertilizer $$ By Nick Schneider Winnebago Co. WI, Agriculture Agent February 10, 2011 Nutrient Recommendation Philosophies Sufficiency Level: Soil test levels established & identified by likelihood of a crop response, nutrient recommended only for low through high soil tests. Fertilize the crop. Similar to Build and Maintain: Fertilize the soil Basic Cation Saturation Ratio: Concept that there is an ideal ratio or range of catios that maximizes crop production. Soil Test Interpretation Categories Probability Soil Test Level Relative Supply of Nutrients From Soil and Fertilizer of Yield Increase Very High Soil <5% High Soil Soil Optimum Soil Low Very Low Soil Nutrients available from soil Adapted from Havlin et al.,1999 using WI interpretations Fert.* F+M+L Fert.+Manure+Leg Fert.+Manure+Leg 5-30% 30-60% 60-90% >90% Nutrients required * Fertilizers used at high soil test levels are for starter or maintenance purposes Nutrient Management • Combine on-farm nutrient sources, with commercial fertilizer, to meet crop need On-farm nutrient sources (manure and legumes) Commercial fertilizer Minimize nutrient losses Manure Nutrient Credits 100 90 80 70 $ / acre Economic value of nitrogen, phosphate, and potash in 25 tons/acre of surface applied, solid dairy manure. 60 $96 50 40 30 20 $30 $37 10 0 N P2O5 K2O Manure Nutrient Content - Solid First-year available nutrient content averages.1 SPECIES N P2O5 K2O - - - - - - - - - - - lbs/ton - - - - - - - - - - - Dairy Beef Swine Chicken Turkey 1 Source: 3 (4)2 4 (5) 7 (9) 20 (24) 20 (24) 3 5 6 30 24 7 9 7 24 24 Wisconsin soil test labs. 2 Use values in parenthesis for incorporated manure. Manure Nutrient Content - Liquid First-year available nutrient content averages.1 SPECIES N P2O5 K2O - - - - - - - - - lbs/1,000 gal - - - - - - - - - - Dairy 7 (10) Beef 5 (7) Swine (indoor pit) 25 (33) Swine (outdoor pit) 17 (22) Swine 13 (16) (nursery indoor pit) Poultry 8 (10) 1 Source: 5 5 25 10 14 6 16 16 24 16 18 10 Wisconsin soil test labs. 2 Use values in parenthesis for incorporated manure. Micronutrients in Dairy Manure Nutrient Calcium Magnesium Sulfur Iron Boron Copper Manganese Zinc Lb per ton 5 2 1.5 0.1 0.01 0.01 0.03 0.04 Lb per 1000 gal 14 6 4.2 0.3 0.03 0.03 0.08 0.11 Nitrogen Credits for Alfalfa Medium or Fine Textured Soils > 8 inches regrowth < 8 inches regrowth NITROGEN CREDIT - - - - - - - lbs N/acre - - - - - - - Alfalfa Stand Density Good >70% 190 150 Fair 160 120 130 90 30-70% Poor <30% 80% for Red Clover Concepts of Fertilizer Efficiency Economic Optimum Rate Maximum Return to Nutrient Income Over Fertilizer (feed) Cost Relative Yield (Expressed as a Percentage) Delta Yield (Change in Yield) Fertilizer Use Efficiency Luxury Consumption Corn Silage Bob Kaiser “Typically high forage diets cost less.” Wisconsin “PEPS” Program Corn Silage 2006 La nd C he m ic al In te re st O th er 2009 Fe rt il Eq ize r ui pm en t H ar ve st Se ed $200 $180 $160 $140 $120 $100 $80 $60 $40 $20 $0 Economic Optimum N Rate Cost of last increment of N added = Value of yield increase produced N Guidelines for Corn • Maximum Return to N (MRTN) – Flexibility in rates based on economics • Cost of N • Price of corn • Cropping systems approach – Corn after soybeans, small grains – Corn after corn, forage legumes, green manures, etc. • Multi-state, regional approach – WI, IA, IL, MN, OH, IN, MI Nitrogen:Corn Price Ratios Price of N1 - $/lb N - 2.50 2.75 3.00 3.25 3.50 3.75 4.00 4.25 4.50 0.25 0.10 0.09 0.08 0.08 0.07 0.07 0.06 0.06 0.06 0.30 0.12 0.11 0.10 0.09 0.09 0.08 0.08 0.07 0.07 0.35 0.14 0.13 0.12 0.11 0.10 0.09 0.09 0.08 0.08 0.40 0.16 0.15 0.13 0.12 0.11 0.11 0.10 0.09 0.09 0.45 0.18 0.16 0.15 0.14 0.13 0.12 0.11 0.11 0.10 0.05 0.50 0.20 0.18 0.17 0.15 0.14 0.13 0.13 0.12 0.11 0.10 0.55 0.22 0.20 0.18 0.17 0.16 0.15 0.13 0.13 0.12 0.15 0.60 0.24 0.22 0.20 0.18 0.17 0.16 0.14 0.14 0.13 0.20 0.65 0.26 0.24 0.22 0.20 0.19 0.17 0.16 0.15 0.14 0.70 0.28 0.25 0.23 0.22 0.20 0.19 0.18 0.16 0.16 0.75 0.30 0.27 0.25 0.23 0.21 0.20 0.19 0.18 0.17 0.80 0.32 0.29 0.27 0.25 0.23 0.21 0.20 0.19 0.18 Price of Corn ($/bu corn) 1 Price of N = [$/ton fertilizer x (100 / % N in fertilizer)] / 2000 Corn Nitrogen Rate Calculator http://extension.agron.iastate.edu/soilfertility/nrate.aspx Profitable N Rate Profitable N Rate • A range of N rates can produce profitable yields • Economics drives the profitable N rate Corn Starter • - If fields are in a responsive range, starter pays But on high fertility soils? 100 sites in WI with high fertility Average Starter 15-26-32 9-23-30 costs $461 100 lbs/a, $23/a Needed 5.75 bu at $4 corn Or 2/3 ton wet silage Laboski, 2009 Grass-Legume Research at Marshfield Treatments 1. Untreated 2. Nitrogen (N) = 130 lbs/a. 4-Year Total $242/a 3. Phosphorus (P) = 30 lbs/a P2O5. 4-Year Total $58/a 4. Potassium (K) = 210 lbs/a K2O. 4-Year Total $353.50/a 5. Managed grass pasture (N+P+K). 4-Year Total $630.05/a 6. Managed legume/grass pasture + micronutrients (K+B+Ca+S). 4-Year Total $475.75 7. Manure: 2 tons/acre after each harvest. $0.45/lb nitrogen, $0.35/lb phosphorus, $0.45/lb potassium, $4.50/lb boron, $0.10/lb gypsum (supplied calcium and sulfur), and $4 per application dry fertilizer application. Replicated – 4 Years – 3 to 4 ton yield goal Manure Credits on Pasture Manure Estimate 50 cows X 106 lbs manure/day= 5,300 lbs manure/day 5,300 lbs manure/day * 5 days= 26,500 lbs or 13.25 tons Reduce for time in the barn (25%) = 10 tons 10 tons / 2 acres = 5 tons solid manure/acre/year Fertility Credit 5 tons solid manure/acre X 3 lbs N/ton = 15 lbs/acre X 3 lbs P2O5/ton = 15 lbs/acre X 7 lbs K2O/ton = 35 lbs/acre Soil Analysis pH Organic Matter % 2006 2007 2010 2006 2007 2010 Untreated 6.7 6.5 6.2 2.8 2.7 2.6 N 6.5 6.5 6.2 * 2.9 2.9 2.8 N+P+K 6.9 6.7 6.0 2.9 2.9 3.0 * P 6.8 6.6 6.2 2.9 2.8 2.7 * K 6.8 6.6 6.3 2.9 2.9 2.6 K+B+Ca+S 6.9 6.7 6.3 3.0 2.9 2.8 * Manure 6.8 6.7 6.2 2.9 2.9 2.9 * * = unchanged from 2006 to 2010 at P=0.10 Soil Analysis Potassium Phosphorus 2006 2007 2010 2006 2007 2010 Untreated 56 42 45 * 31 26 19 N 54 33 39 * 33 25 19 N+P+K 52 55 71 30 26 23 P 60 41 49 * 31 28 28 * K 53 55 160 30 25 19 K+B+Ca+S 50 63 114 31 26 19 Manure 55 47 62 * 31 27 19 * = unchanged from 2006 to 2010 at P=0.10 Soil Analysis Boron Calcium Magnesium Sulfur AI 2006 2007 2010 2006 2007 2010 2006 2007 2010 2006 2007 2010 UT 0.8 0.9 0.4 1050 1095 1057 303 273 263 38 29 38 K+B+S +Ca 0.8 1.1 0.8 1105 1155 1133 325 285 270 37 32 39 Sward Density – Spring 2009 Figure 2: Percent Clover in Sward, May 27, 2009 Percent Clover (dry matter) 50 40 A AB AB 30 AB BC 20 CD 10 D 0 K+B+Ca+S K P Manure Untreated N+P+K N Yield Response Nitrogen Untreated May 2009 Manure Potassium May 2009 Forage Quality Untreated N N+P+K P K K+B+Ca+S Manure Average P-Value LSD (0.05) Untreated N N+P+K P K K+B+Ca+S Manure Average P-Value LSD (0.05) C. Protein 19.6 ab 18.7 c 18.5 c 19.5 ab 19.4 ab 19.8 a 19.2 b 19.3 0.0003 0.5 C. Protein 19.6 a 16.6 b 17.2 b 18.8 a 18.9 a 19.0 a 19.4 a 18.5 <0.0001 1 NDF 37.0 b 39.5 a 39.4 a 37.4 b 37.7 b 37.4 b 37.8 b 38.0 0.0001 0.9 Forage Quality Measurements Low Fertility Location, Harvests 8/21/06 to 11/1/07 Ne TDN Ca % K% RFV 0.718 a 175.7 a 69.5 a 1.05 a 1.94 c 0.711 b 162.8 b 68.7 bc 0.77 c 1.81 c 0.705 c 163.0 b 68.3 c 0.75 c 2.64 a 0.715 ab 174.3 a 69.3 ab 1.01 ab 2.00 c 0.712 b 171.8 a 68.9 b 1.02 a 2.47 ab 0.713 ab 173.6 a 69.1 ab 1.01 ab 2.55 a 0.713 ab 171.7 a 69.1 ab 0.95 b 2.25 b 0.71 170.4 69.0 0.94 2.24 0.0054 0.0002 0.0048 <0.0001 <0.0001 0.006 5.4 0.5 0.07 0.23 Mg % 0.43 a 0.39 b 0.33 c 0.43 a 0.39 b 0.37 b 0.38 b 0.39 <0.0001 0.03 P% 0.31 c 0.33 bc 0.31 bc 0.36 a 0.32 bc 0.32 bc 0.34 b 0.33 0.0068 0.024 NDF 33.3 b 37.4 a 38.5 a 34.6 b 35.2 b 35.2 b 34.4 b 35.5 0.0005 2 High Fertility Location, 11/1/07 Harvest Only Ne TDN Ca % K% RFV 0.77 a 208.0 a 74.2 a 0.69 a 3.03 bc 0.75 bc 180.7 cd 72.6 bc 0.54 bc 2.90 c 0.76 c 174.8 d 72.3 c 0.46 c 3.33 a 0.76 ab 198.8 ab 73.7 a 0.74 a 2.96 c 0.75 ab 194.2 bc 73.5 ab 0.70 a 3.33 a 0.76 ab 194.4 b 73.5 ab 0.68 a 3.23 ab 0.76 ab 199.6 ab 73.6 a 0.61 ab 3.11 abc 0.76 193 73.4 0.63 3.10 0.0162 0.001 0.0055 0.0042 0.0082 0.01 13.6 0.9 0.14 0.25 Mg % 0.18 0.17 0.15 0.18 0.17 0.16 0.16 0.17 0.0998 NS P% 0.42 0.40 0.35 0.39 0.39 0.39 0.40 0.39 0.5469 NS Economic Return Over Fertilizer 4-Year Totals Untreated N N+P+ K $821 $1067 $1192 $893 $1015 $1075 $1030 0 242 630 58 353 475 0 Value-Cost 825 562 835 662 600 1030 Return Compared to Untreated $4 $-259 $14 $-159 $-221 $209 Forage Value Fertilizer Cost P K K+B+Ca +S Manure Compare the price of fertilizer to hay when making fertilization decisions. Nitrogen Fertilizer Management on Rotationally Grazed Pastures Dennis Cosgrove and Ken Barnett Yield Increases from Nitrogen Application Species KB SB OG Control Yield (lbsDM/a) 4365 5293 4654 May 1 + June 15 + Aug 1 Yield Increase (lbs DM/acre) 246 14 232 710 885 1326 456 1002 1054 2019 1052 516 729 1062 1284 June May 1 + May 1 Aug 1 15 June 15 Potassium in Alfalfa Alfalfa Response on a Withee Soil, 1998-2001 Annual K2O Rate Soil Test K2O Average Annual Yield Feed Value K20 Cost Return Compared to Untreated lbs/A 136 ppm initial T/a DM $120 Ton/dm $0.45/lb $ 0 69 3.47 $416.40 $0 100 84 3.95 $474.00 $45 +$12.60 200 123 3.96 $475.20 $90 -$31.20 400 266 4.22 $506.40 $180 -$90.00 Over fertilizing is expensive What effect does delaying potash application have on soil test level? No additional K applied after spring 2006. Laboski, 2009 Tissue Testing Tips for High Priced Fertilizer per “The Big Laboski Hour” Lime is the cornerstone of a good soil fertility program Tips for High Priced Fertilizer per “The Big Laboski Hour” • The first increment of nutrients applied has the greatest efficiency and potential for economic return For P and K 1. Use manure credits first 2. Apply fertilizer to responsive fields first 3. Fertilize high fertility fields at a lower rate 4. Lastly- starter on very high fertility fields