# A Bale of Fertilizer?



## Vol

This University of Georgia expert gives us a education on N, P, and K and informs us on just how rare some of our nutrients are and what the future holds.

Regards, Mike

A bale of fertilizer?


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## Hand&Hand Farms

I will stay with good ole chicken litter. Grass is green and growing all summer long. Some horse people say hay fertilized by will make a big headed foal, I need proof of that!


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## steve IN

Nice to see that once again we are relying on other unstable nations for something so valuable as fertilizer. What amazeds me is that we import so much N while there are plants here not producing at full capacity. One other thing about N. The biggest cost of production, as I see it, is natural gas and gas it at its lowest price in years. We are all going to regret the runup in corn prices. I am willing to bet that when grain prices go back down to a more realistic level , fertilizer will not go back down with them.


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## wappmanb

Steve IN:

You make an interesting point about natural gas (NG). With all the NG in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Ohio today and for the near future you would think that someone would open a fertilizer plant. Heck you could not sell it locally you could put it on a boat in Erie or rail it to Baltimore for export.

Does anyone have any capital to fund a start up that actually produces something. If so contact me.







)


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## vhaby

Mike,
Thanks for directing us to "A Bale of Fertilizer" article by Dr. Dennis Hancock. Georgia is very fortunate to have Dr. Hancock as an Extension Forage Specialist.

Before the 2011 drought in our region, many people bought and sold round bales of bermudagrass for about the value of plant nutrients in the hay, without considering the cost of baling the hay. I can't afford to sell our large round bales of bermudagrass hay in that market. Fertilizer and commercial haying cost put the price of each round bale at about $59, not counting my management time, bale moving, limestone, ranch land and machinery interest, etc.
Vincent


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## mlappin

vhaby, when you say large round of bermuda, I take it your referring to a 5x6 bale, roughly around 1800lbs?


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## Randy Litton

Not fertilizing is a matter of diminishing returns. If you do not fertilize adequately, you will mine the nutrients and eventually wind up with a beautiful stand of weeds.


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## rjmoses

Feeding the world may not be a good idea. We deplete our soils and other resources for a short term profit, primarily from international trade. I'm some what of an isolationist because, as I see it, the primary beneficiaries are politicians.

From a farming and technology perspective, I think it might be time to develop new techniques, perhaps varieties that require less P and K, crop rotation methods that replenish the soils, techniques that allow fields to lie fallow for several years--all while maintaining profitably for the farmer.

But I do not believe that those solutions will come from big business or government policies. If anything, they will probably interfere. I believe the solutions should come from people like us, but it will be an expensive, uphill battle. If we don't develop solutions, this country will probably end in the dumper.

Many of us will be dead when it all hits the fan but I also believe we have the responsibility as lovers of the land to do whatever we can to prevent that crises.

Just my thoughts.....

Ralph


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## skyrydr2

Yup.. send all our top quality goods over seas and get back poisonous garbage in return..
Feed the enemy our best grains and meats and let our own people starve.. thats how to make a good strong country!
I fear it is closer than we think, and it isn't gonna just slash and cover the room, its gonna knock the blades off the fan! I just hope its not our fan rhe blades get knocked off....


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