One little test for big savings

It’s that time of year again to move cow-calf pairs to pasture. Before they are loaded up, first, fences need to be mended after the abuse of winter, calves need their shots and fly tags and cows need to be de-wormed and given their pre-breeding vaccinations. Preparing for a successful summer can be tasking, and one thing that is often looked over is the quality of the pasture grasses.

How long will the grass last? Can it sustain the cowherd through the grazing months? One way producers work to ensure a long grazing season is through a fertilizer application in the fields. However, purchasing and using a 19-19-19 application, with equal parts Nitrogen, Phosphorous and Potassium (NPK) doesn’t always do the trick and can be a costly application for producers.

Debbie Jones, an expert in economics and interpretation of soil tests with the University of Tennessee Extension offered some sound advice on getting the best bang for your buck by conducting a soil test and buying the correct fertilizer to match nutrient needs of the soil.

It’s that time of year again to move cow-calf pairs to pasture. Before they are loaded up, first, fences need to be mended after the abuse of winter, calves need their shots and fly tags and cows need to be de-wormed and given their pre-breeding vaccinations. Preparing for a successful summer can be tasking, and one thing that is often looked over is the quality of the pasture grasses.

How long will the grass last? Can it sustain the cowherd through the grazing months? One way producers work to ensure a long grazing season is through a fertilizer application in the fields. However, purchasing and using a 19-19-19 application, with equal parts Nitrogen, Phosphorous and Potassium (NPK) doesn’t always do the trick and can be a costly application for producers.

Debbie Jones, an expert in economics and interpretation of soil tests with the University of Tennessee Extension offered some sound advice on getting the best bang for your buck by conducting a soil test and buying the correct fertilizer to match nutrient needs of the soil.

It’s that time of year again to move cow-calf pairs to pasture. Before they are loaded up, first, fences need to be mended after the abuse of winter, calves need their shots and fly tags and cows need to be de-wormed and given their pre-breeding vaccinations. Preparing for a successful summer can be tasking, and one thing that is often looked over is the quality of the pasture grasses.

How long will the grass last? Can it sustain the cowherd through the grazing months? One way producers work to ensure a long grazing season is through a fertilizer application in the fields. However, purchasing and using a 19-19-19 application, with equal parts Nitrogen, Phosphorous and Potassium (NPK) doesn’t always do the trick and can be a costly application for producers.

Debbie Jones, an expert in economics and interpretation of soil tests with the University of Tennessee Extension offered some sound advice on getting the best bang for your buck by conducting a soil test and buying the correct fertilizer to match nutrient needs of the soil.