The Effect of Fertilizers on the Growth and Grazing Value of Pasture Plants

A SUCCESSFUL livestock enterprise in Florida depends upon many factors, the quantity and quality of feed being two of the major considerations. It is known that the forage produced on many soils in Florida and other humid areas is deficient in certain nutrients which are necessary for normal animal growth (i, 2, 3, 7). It is generally known that the quantity and quality of forage may be improved by applying the fertilizer nutrients which are unavailable or deficient in the soil, and by the introduction of more nutritive forage plants. These practices favor livestock production. Previous to the past decade range cattle in Florida obtained practically all of their feed from the native grasses of the Coastal Plains soils. These grasses such as Aristida, Panicum, Paspalum, and other genera still furnish most of the pasture'for range cattle in Florida. The native grasses have disadvantages of (a) low carrying capacity (5 to 20 acres per animal unit), (b) palatability maintained for only a short period, and (c) low protein and mineral content as compared with improved permanent pasture plants (Table i). The vegetation of native range grasses 60 to 90 days after burning is two to three times higher in calcium, phosphorus, and protein content than the vegetation from unburned native grasses. The herbage from improved permanent pasture grasses and legumes is approximately 6 to 10 times higher in phos-