# Urea 46-0-0 on hay fields



## Swv.farmer (Jan 2, 2016)

Any one put urea on after each cutting of hay?
This year I'm trying it I've only had the first cutting put up about 20 days or so and after i got it up I put on 120 pounds to the acre it has growed back fast has a really dark green color I'm just wondering if it worth the price? Will it help the yield.


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## somedevildawg (Jun 20, 2011)

Swv.farmer said:


> Any one put urea on after each cutting of hay?
> This year I'm trying it I've only had the first cutting put up about 20 days or so and after i got it up I put on 120 pounds to the acre it has growed back fast has a really dark green color I'm just wondering if it worth the price? Will it help the yield.


I do but this is Bermuda and it's a junkie for N......can use up to 3#pa per day so we have to, usually about 90 units after every cut. I prefer to use urea but it can be hard to obtain here in the "dog days"


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## Three44s (May 21, 2016)

As I recall, Urea is usually the least expensive form of N there is ....... saving money is important.

You will know when you put up your next cutting whether it payed out or not. Your color change is a good indication you may have hit the "ball" out of the park!

The downside I think with Urea is it does volalilize some ......... working it in is nice but can't do on your sod ........... so a good rain is the next best thing ....... a long dry spell could lose you a few points of your Urea ...........

http://www.extension.uidaho.edu/swidaho/nutrient%20management/pnwureamanagement.pdf

Unfortunately it does also volatalize from the dirt as well under some conditions

That's about the only downside I see but I think the price difference more than makes up for the losses under normal conditions.

Best regards

Three 44s


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## Swv.farmer (Jan 2, 2016)

Yea when I put it on it rained that same evening for about a hour good slow drizzel the it has had some good shares on it on and off so I'm hopeing to see a good yield if it turns out hoo I've got enough setting in the barn to do it again after next cutting.


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## Three44s (May 21, 2016)

It rained that soon, that's excellent!

With our irrigation, we get spoiled here ......... you look at the pivots and it's rare to see one that does not have an injection tank by the center point and more likely more than a couple of them.

A lot of the materials are not compatible and must be injected separately. Otherwise it's all may turn to cottage cheese!

One would not generally inject as much nitrogen through the water as one would put on in dry form however. Something like spray grade ammonium sulfate is just too expensive to get into rates competitive with Urea spread on the ground.

Three 44s


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## Hayman1 (Jul 6, 2013)

I do on my fields. 60#N per ac and I have it treated with contain which signicantly reduces volitazation. Since they removed ammonium nitrate it's about your only choice for n topdressing


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## hillside hay (Feb 4, 2013)

I usually wait till rain is imminent before spreading urea. During a dry spell I fired up the old corn planter and applied.it with that. That took forever.


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## RuttedField (Apr 24, 2016)

I have a neighbor who has done this for years, though as others have said, he waits until just before a rain to do so. I assume, since he has done so for so many years, he gets good results.

He is kind of interesting. He is a smaller operation as far as dairy farms go around here, but is sort of the last guy standing if you will. So many others have gone bankrupt and yet he ends up buying their auctioned equipment and keeps going and getting bigger, but at a slow pace. The sad part is, he had no children and is now aged with Amish on either side of him like vultures ready to pounce on the dying lamb.

I regret not getting to know him that well. It seems the knowledge I could have obtained could have been benefited my own farm.


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## somedevildawg (Jun 20, 2011)

Never to late Rutt......

One thing I feel I should mention concerning Urea.....because we have to apply so much N during the year, PH levels in the field are a constant battle. Every year we have to apply lime to keep the target PH in sight....urea doesn't have as much effect on Ph as other forms of N. Yes volitization is more of a concern, but treated with agrotain, the losses seem to be minimal.....


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## CaseIH (Feb 6, 2016)

I have applied at anywhere from 60 to 100 pounds to the acre (depending on cash flow) pretty near every year. I apply about a week, maybe two after first cut. As everyone above as said, wait till rain is on the radar heading your way. Its a gamble here but with rain and decent weather it pays off most years with additional tons of second cut. My fields are a mix of OG, Broom, Timothy and then some fields of sudan.

Good Luck!


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