Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Farm & Home with Rex Dollar

Bermuda grass fertilization is influenced by many factors. Three of these factors include native soil fertility, bermuda grass type (common or hybrid) and the production level or yield that is desired for a particular pasture or hay meadow.

In University of Arkansas forage variety trials, bermuda grass has ranged from 2.5 to 9.0 tons dry matter per acre. In general common bermuda grass will range from 2.5 to 6.0 tons dry matter per acre while hybrids can yield as high as 9.0 tons dry matter per acre or more.

There are also a number of factors that affect yield performance. Variety, soil type, available soil moisture and soil fertility are the most important factors affecting yield. Of these factors the producer generally has control of only forage variety selected and soil fertility.

Fertilizer recommendations for bermuda grass can be adjusted to a producer's desired level of production. Since hybrids have greater genetic potential to produce more tonnage per acre than common bermuda grass, the removal of plant food will be higher. This will typically be reflected in soil test recommendations calling for higher rates of fertilizer to replace that being used.

When you bring your soil sample to the county Extension office you will be asked to select one of four levels of production. Corresponding fertilizer recommendations will be given for each level of production that is desired. The ranges of production are low, moderate, high and very high.

Regardless of the forage production level selected, "green-up" of the bermuda grass pasture or hay meadow signals the time of the year to make the initial fertilizer application of nitrogen, phosphate, and potash. Depending upon the level of production desired, additional nitrogen top dressing will be recommended every five to six weeks.

Recommendations for low production levels are made to keep the plants in a healthy growing condition and increase production slightly. No top dress N is recommended for this production level. Where overstocking is not a common occurrence, this is usually an adequate fertility program.

Moderate production recommendations will require slight increases in P and K and the use of N fertilization. This program fits well for pastures of common bermuda grass or fields of hybrid bermuda grass where producers are trying to obtain significant yield increases. Top dress N applications of 50 to 60 pounds/N acre are recommended after each hay cutting or every four to six weeks when utilized by grazing animals until September.

High production recommendations will require additional N and K. These recommendations are generally made for common bermuda grass pastures where maximum stocking rates are desired or on hybrid bermuda grass fields where maximum yields are desired without the use of irrigation.

Eighty pounds of top dress N is recommended after each hay cutting or every four to six weeks for grazing pastures until September. An additional 60 pounds potash per acre should be applied after every other N application when soil test K is below 400 pounds per acre.

Very high production recommendations are generally designed for hybrid bermuda grass hay production operations under irrigation. If water is not a limiting factor most of the hybrids have genetic capability to utilize up to 100 pounds of N per acre after each cutting or every four to six weeks. An additional 80 to 100 pounds potash per acre should be applied every other N application if soil test K is below 600 pounds per acre.