Summer stressors = potential for nitrates in forages
July usually means extreme heat in our area (south central South Dakota and north central Nebraska) and this year looks to be no different. As you put together your plans for your forage crop, be sure you are safe when it comes to nitrates.
Drought is a crop stressor that can cause the forage crops (oats, triticale, sorghums, other small grains) to stop growing, which can then lead to nitrates. It is better to be safe than sorry when it comes to nitrates in your feed – so what do you need to know?
WHAT CAUSES NITRATE LEVELS TO BE ELEVATED IN FORAGE CROPS?
Nitrates can become present in forage crops after stressors, such as hot, dry weather, as the plant stops growing and nitrates accumulate.
WHAT HAPPENS IF THERE ARE NITRATES IN FORAGES (HAY)?
Nitrates can be poisonous to cattle when consumed in large quantities and can cause pregnant cows to abort.
HOW DO I TEST FOR NITRATES?
Before you cut your hay: cut a sample from a few spots in the field that would be the same cutting height as your swather/windrower/harvesting machine. Bring that sample to us at Elevate Agronomics and we will send it to the lab for a quick turnaround, low-cost nitrate test.
After you bale your hay: take core samples from multiple bales and bring those to Elevate Agronomics for us to send into the lab for testing.
“GOOD NEWS! Nitrate tests are free of charge if you purchased your seed from us here at Elevate Agronomics. We want to make sure your cows are taken care of!”
HOW DO I READ MY HAY TEST WHEN IT COMES TO NITRATE LEVELS?
IF I HAVE NITRATES IN MY HAY, HOW DO I GET RID OF THEM?
Once the stressors are removed and regrowth happens, the nitrate levels will dissipate. Or, if you ensile your crop, that will cause fermentation which reduces the nitrate levels.
If nitrate levels do not dissipate, you can still feed the hay to your cows. You will need to monitor feed it (ex: less than half of the total dry ration) or consider not feeding it at all to pregnant cows.
WHAT ELSE DO I NEED TO KNOW ABOUT NITRATES IN FORAGES?
Do not cut or graze your stressed forage crop (with elevated nitrate levels) right after a rain – you need to give it some time to relax and de-escalate from the elevated nitrate levels.
At the end of the day, it’s better to be safe than sorry when it comes to increased nitrate levels in your forage crops. Our team is here to help you with any questions and will gladly send in your hay samples for nitrate testing, so your livestock are safe and well-fed.