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Post by rowfarmer on Mar 29, 2012 20:22:56 GMT -5
How much nitrogen does clover actually fix? I get hammered every spring by my neighbors because I spray my hayfields and pastures with Grazon P+D. All they ever say is your killing your clover and wasting all that N. So is their a way to determine how much N comes from the clover in my fields.
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Post by wheatfarmer on Mar 29, 2012 20:27:18 GMT -5
Not sure about figuring it, but if you let the clover go to bloom and seed, you will not need to worry about the grass. Some clovers will take over the whole area and choke out the grass.
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Post by rowfarmer on Mar 29, 2012 20:40:35 GMT -5
Actually to me I look at it as a weed in the hay field (Bermuda grass). I just use a Kuhn disc mower no conditioner and it takes forever for the clover to dry. Also it is in the field every year and I have never planted a single seed. Granted I would rather have a clover problem than a curly dock problem in the hay field but it is their every year just like all the broad leaf weeds.
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Post by JoshuaGA on Mar 30, 2012 21:57:26 GMT -5
Dont know about the clover, but I interseeded alfalfa into one bermudagrass field, makes NICE hay too, with irrigation I can fairly consistantly pull 250 to 300 60 lb square bales of 5 acres, 6 cuttings a year. I do fertilize, rather heavily, with chicken litter, but otherwise no imputs except the water. Is it worth it, I don't know, but alfalfa is going into its forth year and shows no signs of giving up. I should also add I cut with a haybine, which is something I would have a hard time giving up at this point. A tedder is extremely helpful as well.
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Post by ses on Mar 31, 2012 7:21:29 GMT -5
Clover planted as a cover crop can produce up to 140 pounds of N but 60 to 80 is probably more realistic. It comes up wild in our CRP and really does the grass good but, of course, we don't fertilize the grass it either. The worst part is it matures sooner than the grass so it's usually dead and brown when you cut the grass.
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Post by kwestfarms on Mar 31, 2012 10:11:21 GMT -5
Red clover is the real bear to try to get dry around here. Stay away from red clover and usually include some alfalfa in hay mix. We usually do get fair amount of white clover showing up under certain weather conditions.....does not add much yield anddon't think it adds much N either....at least don't see much responce from grass . John
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