Hay producers who pay close attention to soil fertility fundamentals are better prepared to meet desired forage production and nutritive value with their fields. This management tool is especially important with introduced forages.

"Lack of attention can easily necessitate increased purchase of off-farm feed and forage, decreased animal performance and reduced level of profitability of a forage-livestock enterprise," said Brian Arnall, Oklahoma State University assistant professor of plant and soil sciences.

The first step in the soil fertility program is to obtain a soil sample for analysis. A soil analysis is used to determine the levels of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium in the soil, as well as the soil pH level. Under certain circumstances, analyses for other nutrients also may be required. Based on the yield goal for specific forage crops, written recommendations for the level of each fertilizer nutrient required are usually furnished by the laboratory conducting the analysis.

After correcting the soil pH level to greater than 5.7 and meeting the phosphorus and potassium needs, there are only two basic fertilization principles required for introduced, warm-season grasses