# Foliar feed after cutting



## davang (Apr 7, 2010)

The commercial guys around me usually spray a foliar fertilizer about a week after they bale. Some guy said it was called "quick shot" or something similar to that. Anyone know what he's talking about?

Jeff


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## Mike120 (May 4, 2009)

Probably Grasshopper Foliar Liquid. My neighbor tried it last year during the drought and it did help. With adequate rain amounts, I think you can do just fine with granular though. A liquid however, is an easy way to address the micro-nutrients if you're so inclined, but I'd rather use the regular liquid fertilizer from Simplot (Used to be Texas Liquid Fertilizer). My personal opinion is that Grasshopper is more costly for what you get from it


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## davang (Apr 7, 2010)

I've been using the 18-7-3 with micros from simplot (they've got one 3 miles from my field) 1 ton per acre and getting a good yield this year. Prob just stick with that.


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## steve in IN (Sep 30, 2009)

J have been foliar feeding for several years. Have used a product called ENC from Helena and used one called Fortified this year. Use it mainly for the micros. Six inches more growth than check strip plus much deeper green color. I have noticed that under certain conditions it can speed up blooming from 28 days to around 25. Not sure why though havent been able to pinpoint any consistent reason. I ad 2 quarts when I spray for hoppers. I also use it on soybeans and tried some this year on corn.


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## vhaby (Dec 30, 2009)

davang said:


> I've been using the *18-7-3 with micros *from simplot (they've got one 3 miles from my field) *1 ton per acre *and getting a good yield this year. Prob just stick with that.


Wow! 360 lbs of N/acre. Is this a one-time application for the whole year? Or is it split over several cuttings? Surface applied? or applied and incorporated?


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## somedevildawg (Jun 20, 2011)

I'm ignorant, but is this for alfalfa? Guys down here use foliar, minus the n, do you guys apply n in such large amounts to alfalfa? If so I have been lied to! All I grow is Bermuda, and it can eat up the n, but I thought alfalfa ..........does it not produce all it needs?


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## steve in IN (Sep 30, 2009)

Alfalfa does produce its own N. But it can show signs of deficiency when young. The foliar I use has an analysis of 8-19-3. This is not the main reason I use it. I use it for the micros. The N from nodes can be hard to absorb under stressful conditions such as drought.


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## davang (Apr 7, 2010)

vhaby said:


> Wow! 360 lbs of N/acre. Is this a one-time application for the whole year? Or is it split over several cuttings? Surface applied? or applied and incorporated?


I'm sorry TYPO! LAst two cuts 1 ton per 10 acres, first cut (march application) 3 tons per 20 acres.


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## somedevildawg (Jun 20, 2011)

10 4, so you apply small amounts of n to help young growth, interesting, when they are pitching this alfalfa gig to us there was no mention of n just p k and h2o. Sounded good but too large of investment for additional eq. (conditioner, rotary, etc.) now I find out I still gotta apply some n......don't think alfalfa is in this haymakers future. Guys down here interseededing with Bermuda do apply a small amount of n to spur the grass during July and August when alfalfa is struggling. Was thinking of seeding a 30 acre field this fall, not so sure, N, blister bettles, equipment costs, wow. Interesting news to me!


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## vhaby (Dec 30, 2009)

Alfalfa does well on Rhizobia-fixed atmospheric nitrogen even in the seedling stage when seeded timely in fall. The only time I would be concerned with nitrogen deficiency in alfalfa is when seeding was done very late in the fall (December in Coastal Plain) and soil temperatures were sufficiently cool to slow Rhizobia growth and activity. Even at that time, only a small amount of nitrogen need be applied, like 10 - 20 lb of N/ac. On Coastal Plain limed acid soils, I would be more concerned with application of adequate phosphorus, potassium, and boron than with applying nitrogen. Liming acid soils to pH 6.8 -7.0 ties up plant available boron. Two to four pounds of a actual boron per acre on limed acid soils produced 2 t/ac additional alfalfa dry matter in Texas A&M research on a Coastal Plain soil.


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