Fertilizing Options for Stockpiling Forages

Objective Many livestock owners use the granular form of urea nitrogen during late summer and fall trying to increase forage growth for “stockpiled” forage. Livestock are then allowed to graze the “stockpile” at a later date when other forages no longer are growing or available. This practice extends the grazing season and reduces the need for higher priced stored feed. Urea is a common nitrogen fertilizer that is readily available but can volatize under warm, humid, dry conditions. Adding a urease inhibitor (Agrotain®) can reduce the chances of volatizing for a period of time. Ammonium sulfate is another nitrogen fertilizer that can be purchased although it is more expensive per unit of nitrogen and studies indicate it is less volatile than urea. This study was done to determine the effects of using urea, adding a urease inhibitor (nitrogen stabilizer) product to urea, at the labeled rate, before applying the urea to the forage, and applying ammonium sulfate. The objective was to determine any difference in dry matter accumulation between treatments and detect changes in quality characteristics of the forages.