Soil Sampling and Nutrient Management in Small Ruminant Pastures
AGR-265: Soil Sampling and Nutrient Management in Small Ruminant Pastures
Abstract
Pastures for sheep and goats are fertilized to ensure a reliable supply of energy, protein, and other nutrients for a long season of grazing. Management of plant nutrients maintains a balance of improved grasses and legumes and improves forage species’ competitiveness with many pasture weeds.
The most important part of obtaining fertilizer recommendations is collecting a representative soil sample to send to the lab. Soil test results and fertilizer recommendations are based solely on 10 to 20 ounces of soil submitted to the lab for analysis, which are assumed to represent several million pounds of soil in the field. If this sample does not reflect actual soil chemical conditions, the results can be misleading and cause costly over- or under-fertilization.
The most important part of obtaining fertilizer recommendations is collecting a representative soil sample to send to the lab. Soil test results and fertilizer recommendations are based solely on 10 to 20 ounces of soil submitted to the lab for analysis, which are assumed to represent several million pounds of soil in the field. If this sample does not reflect actual soil chemical conditions, the results can be misleading and cause costly over- or under-fertilization.
Core Details
Publication ID
AGR-265
Status
Major Revision
Publication Date
Mar. 13, 2023
Series
Multi-Part Series
N/A
Categorical Details
Language
English
Peer Reviewed?
Yes
Keywords
Pastures, Fetilizer, Nutrients