Show Fertilization z tion of Fo Foothill Ranges I Increases Forage Yie Yield d 5 Times I By ny O. O Wayne Cook Research Professor Utah Agricultural I Exp Station It is reasonable to assume that within the next 15 to 20 years range fertilization will be be bean an accepted accepted ac ac- ei t d practice In the management management manage manage- ment of many range lands lande More Intensive management of our forage forage for for- age resources to meet tho the demands de de- mands mande of our Increasing population population tion for meat will by necessity require the application of all of the tho known methods of Improving the forage supply and processing it into a marketable product It ban baa been estimated that the requirements for meat In the western western west west- ern states will Increase 75 per percent percent cent ent during the next 15 years If production remains remaina the same the west will be Importing beef and lamb Jamb lamb from the eastern states by 1975 Thus If we are to keep pace with the demands deman s livestock producers producers pro pro- must Increase output More Moro Intensive and more eW- eW dent clent use of our range forage resource re resource re- re source Is obviously the answer answel to this problem of ot Increased dema demand for tor meat Feed makes up about SO O per cent of the cost of producIng producing ing lag beef beet and lamb and the more of ot this that comes from range i forage the greater eater the efficiency of production I There are 4 to 5 million acres of foothill range land in each state of the Intermountain area arell that are now producing less than one fifth th their lr potential forage capacity However through control con trot of ot unde undesirable plants and with the use of fertilizer and good management the full production potential of these areas can be obtained In addition there are are 3 to 4 million acres of ot higher elevation or mountain ranges that can bo ho expected to double or triple their present production through the application of fertilizer fertilizer fer ter alone Benefits from the application of ot fertilizer on range lands have been found to occur through 1 increased forage production 2 increased nutrient yield 3 0 Increased Increased in increased In- In creased palatability and andt 4 t increased increased in In- creased vigor of plants plant Increased l Forage oraDo Production Application of nitrogen at 40 I pounds per acre on foothill ranges o ot of Utah where annual precipitation tion is about 12 inches increased dry matter yield as much as pounds per ler acre On mountain meadow range where annual precipitation precipitation pre pre- averages 18 inches the I dry matter yield was increased 2000 pounds wl with the application of 40 pounds of nitrogen per acre The carry over the second year as a result of ot f fertilizing the pro pre year year has varied from no additional forage yield to as mUch mUchas as pounds per acre Increased Nutrient Yield During Daring Soar four years of research in ut Utah h U Jt hoe has been shown that the content of ot range forage forages s Js increased as much as third one-third through the application of ot nitrogen nitrogen nitro nitro- gen at the rate of ot 40 pounds per acre As much as pounds of additional digestible nutrients per acre have been produced on seed ed d foothill range and A aa as much as 1200 pounds additional digestible on mountain meadow ranges from the application ot of 40 rounds younds of nitrogen per acre It If we process as aa much as aa 60 0 per Jer cent of ot this digestible eat nt by mean meaD of pf grazing animate animal we vo could expect from 30 to o as much as u pound pounds of ot additional ad ad- additional meat per acre acro from the tie addition ot of fertiliser Increased Palatability Is b sIx sin separate fertilisation e on foothill and mountain JaAg 8 ta ja Utah Utai It was wa found that thattie tie like livestock preference for fertilized ter fer areas over oer adjacent unfertilized mater areas was wag pronounced In h Inan han an all cases toe the areas were Wire utilized more tOfe than twice aa as heavily heave fly ily aa as the untreated areas area When I I 40 pounds of nitrogen per acre I was added to seeded foothill ranges the degree of utilization by cattle on the tho treated plots was I I about 80 per cent compared to only 37 per cent on adjacent untreated tin- tin I treated plots The following year with no additional fertilizer the I same same plots were utilized to the I extent of 61 per er cent on the treated treated treat treat- I ed ed and 28 23 per cent on the led ed the third year after I treatment no difference difference differ differ- ence in palatability between fertilized fer- fer I and unfertilized plots was noted I 1 Herbicides and nitrogen fertilizer zer zer applied on mountain slopes InI ina in ina I a n a liquid solution by plane increased increased ed ed th the palatability palatability of forage and I II I thereby drew animals onto slopes elopes rbt normally frequented by livestock live live- I stock stock Distribution of grazing ani ani- niale on rough mountain terrain is le isa a major problem in obtaining uni term utilization on the range therefore the use of fertilizer may prove to be a n valuable tool in better utilization on mountain ranges rangel Increased Vigor of Plants re-novation re j I Tho The use of fertilizer as a are reI re- re I novation practice holds great promise promise The application of fertilizer fertilizer fer fer- fer- fer on ranges where herbicides are used hastens the recovery of ot the range in addition to IncreasIng Increasing increasing ing forage and nutrient yield Studies in Utah show that that vigor of ot the vegetation is improved ed as shown by Increased density and size of ot the grass clump Increased in increased increased In- In creased height and number of ot seed stalks Increased d size of stems and leaves and increased root yield I Conclusion All ot of these benefits from fertilization fertilization fertilization fer fer- are complimentary and should be bo properly evaluated in a oil fertilization program before con con- or prescribing such a oil I practice in a range manag management ment mentI plan I Responses Responses from the application of fertilizer are best realized where moisture is It not limiting Therefore areas receiving less lose than 12 Inches of precipitation annually an may show little or no response res res- to the addition of fertilizer Furthermore research Is needed before sound recommendations can be made for tor the many and varied range situations where fertilizer fertilizer fer fer- fer may appear to be bene bone tidal Economic returns especially II ally are lacking I I I |