# Top dressing orchard grass with liquid N



## Hayman1 (Jul 6, 2013)

I usually topdress after first and second cutting. Been having trouble with stripping of N so thought I would try liquid N. I use 60#N. anyone else using liquid N on grass hay? Am I nuts?


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## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

Hayman1 said:


> I usually topdress after first and second cutting. Been having trouble with stripping of N so thought I would try liquid N. I use 60#N. anyone else using liquid N on grass hay? Am I nuts?


Well, if you are nuts, then that makes 2 of us. I do 1 application before 1st cut and one sometimes between cuts, or apply dry compost as an alternative


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## valleyforage (Apr 28, 2015)

Few ?s as I have never had the guts to try it but am also interested. Are u using stream nozzles or fan? Also are u adding any N stabilization products?


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## 32-0-0 (May 30, 2017)

I don't have any experience with OG, as where I'm located in South Texas many varieties of coastal grass are the most popular perenial grass grown for both grazing and hay production. What I do is what I learned from Dad.

We have always applied liquid nitrogen to our coastal fields. I apply nitrogen after each cutting using a spray rig with a roller pump designed to withstand Nitrogen and "dribble tips" (as we always called them) on the booms spaced about 20 inches.

If you cant irrigate then its a good idea to time your liquid N application so your fields receive rain within a week of the N application. I have pivots so the timing isn't as crucial. However, I always try to apply my applications within a week of the last cut date...Liquid N will burn green regrowth. I've got a field right now that I wasn't able to fertilize within that week window and is already well greened up, so I'm going to spread some dry Nitrogen on it tomorrow. With the heat we are experiencing right now, I just don't want to stress the grass any more than it has to..

Again, this is what I learned on COASTAL GRASS...not sure about Orchard grass,

Another thing to think about is that liquid and dry Nitrogen prices...right now I'm paying $260 a ton for liquid 32-0-0. Dry 46-0-0 is running $356 a ton. Pencil it out and dry fertilizer is the better buy now. Earlier this year, liquid N was the better buy. Being able to apply either liquid or dry N allows for 2 choices...pick the one that is more economical .


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## vhaby (Dec 30, 2009)

Quoted from 32-0-0:

"We have always applied liquid nitrogen to our coastal fields. I apply nitrogen after each cutting using a spray rig with a roller pump designed to withstand Nitrogen and "dribble tips" (as we always called them) on the booms spaced about 20 inches."

Orchard grass may have a different growth pattern than Coastal bermudagrass (Cb).

Because Cb grows by extending underground rhizomes and surface stolons laterally, the 20" spacing of the dribble bands of N works well. After the initial yellowing of the grass at the fertilizer band, the grass in the band area greens up and rapidly grows compared to the between bands grass.The rhizomes and stolons put down roots at nodes spaced every few inches. So the Cb can root into the banded fertilizer N and continue growing laterally to fill in the between band spaces so that by harvest time (about every 30 days) there is no difference in grass height or density between fertilizer bands. In studies by soil scientists at Texas A&M AgriLife Research at Overton, there was no yield difference between fertilizer nitrogen band spacings of 7, 14, 21, and 28 inches.

http://articlesearchdatabase.tamu.edu/_archive/html_archive/pdfs/viewpdf_528.pdf

Vincent Haby


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## Hayman1 (Jul 6, 2013)

[quote name="JD3430" post="744522" timestamp="1500944019"]Well, if you are nuts, then that makes 2 of us. I do 1 application before 1st cut and one sometimes between cuts, or apply dry compost as an alternative[/quote

How many #N per app?


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## Hayman1 (Jul 6, 2013)

valleyforage said:


> Few ?s as I have never had the guts to try it but am also interested. Are u using stream nozzles or fan? Also are u adding any N stabilization products?


Never done it before. Coop will do it and I am assuming fan nozzles. They said they would add more water to reduce chances for burn. I always use stabilizer on urea


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## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

24.6g/acre 
27-0-0-3s


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## vhaby (Dec 30, 2009)

Assuming 10.5 lb/gallon of 27-0-0-3S, that would be about 260 lb of material per acre. That amounts to about 70 lb of N per acre.


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## 32-0-0 (May 30, 2017)

vhaby said:


> Quoted from 32-0-0:
> 
> "We have always applied liquid nitrogen to our coastal fields. I apply nitrogen after each cutting using a spray rig with a roller pump designed to withstand Nitrogen and "dribble tips" (as we always called them) on the booms spaced about 20 inches."
> 
> ...


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## Hayman1 (Jul 6, 2013)

Well, the coop blinked today-they are worried about burning the OG at 85 degrees


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## FAHGreen (Apr 6, 2016)

15 to 20 gal 30% UAN with 10 to 15 gal water after 1st and 2nd cutting. 20 to 30 gal per ac. Try to put on right before or during rain event. Fan nozzle , 20 inch spacing.

Works here, (SE. PA) your results may vary.

Fred


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