What’s the real cost of fertilizing alfalfa?
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EmailWhere the nutrients come from may surprise even the experienced producer.
As the 2011 growing season gets into full swing, many hay producers will be considering how much fertilizer they should apply to their established alfalfa and clover fields following a long winter season. Due to volatility of fertilizer prices, one of the growing concerns MSU Extension specialists and educators have is decreased fertilizer usage and impacts on yield. Producers need to reconsider their bottom line before determining fertilizer applications.
High fertilizer prices
According to statistics from Michigan NASS, costs of K2O and P have increased 29 percent and 19 percent, respectively, during the past five years.
Table 1.
| Prices paid for fertilizers, March, North Central Region | ||||||
| 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | Average Increase per year | |
| (dollars per ton) | ||||||
| Muriate of Potash | 271 | 277 | 562 | 848 | 501 | 29% |
| Triple Superphosphate | 315 | 409 | 779 | 555 | 465 | 19% |
| Note: North Central Region: IL, IN, IA, MI, MN, MO, OH, WI | ||||||
Source: MI NASS
Fertilizer impact on yield
The primary nutrients required for high tonnage alfalfa yields are potassium (K) and phosphorus (P), followed by boron (B) and sulfur (S ). Without maintenance nutrient applications, nutrient removal from harvested alfalfa hay will decrease soil fertility levels.
Table 2.
| Nutrient removal in some Michigan field crops. | ||||
| Crop | Unit | N | P2O5 | K2O |
| - lb/unit of yield - | ||||
| Alfalfa (hay) | ton | 45 | 13 | 50 |
| Alfalfa (haylage) | ton | 14 | 3.2 | 12 |
| Clover-grass (hay) | ton | 41 | 13 | 39 |
Source: MSU Extension Bulletin E2904, Nutrient Recommendations for Field Crops in Michigan
Research presented at the 2011 MSU Forage Technology Conference indicated that sub-optimum soil fertility may result in inadequate plant tissue K during the third cutting . Another study presented at the conference indicated that if crop removal exceeds application, soil test K (ppm) levels decreased over time at all soil depths as deep as 36 inches in a corn-corn, corn-soybean, and corn-alfalfa rotation. Subsoil P appeared to be unaffected.
To reduce luxury potassium uptake and increase efficiency, MSU recommendations are for potassium fertilizers to be applied after first cutting. When replacing potassium due to crop removal, topdress K2O after the first and third or fourth cutting. Producers should be cautious about adding K2O to sandy or sandy-loam soils that readily leach by applying fertilizer during the growing season or before plant dormancy and soil freezing .
The bottom line
Return on investment should always be one of the driving factors when analyzing your cropping system. It’s wise to know your cost of production that includes the seeding year costs. Read MSU’s crop production budget factsheet to see a good example of an alfalfa budget.
Table 3 .
K20 = $592/ton & P205 =$714/ton FOB distributor
Applied at crop removal rates Assumptions: Alfalfa = $150/ton;
*Maximum amount of 0-0-60 is 500 lbs/year. Source: Illinois Production Cost Report, USDA AMS
** Other costs are based on 5.5 tons DM/year, MSU Extension Crop & Livestock Enterprise Budgets
Don't guess, soil test
One of the primary recommendations for successful yields is to base your fertilizer applications according to current soil test results. This practice will not only prevent unnecessary fertilizer applications when fertility levels are sufficient, but also aid in maintaining field productivity. To maximize profit, producers should analyze the cost of fertilizer applications against projected income from each ton of dry hay to determine the value of high yields.
