2. For the most efficient use of the fertilizer bud-
 get, only after 60 lb of N have been applied to
 every bahiagrass acre to be used for grazing
 should consideration be given to applying P205
 and KIO. At N rates of 100 to 120 lb/A, apply 25
 lb/A of P205 and 50 lb/A of K20 if these plant
 nutrients test low for the soil. Do not apply P20
 and O20 if these nutrients test medium or
 higher for the soil.

3. When applying up to 120 lb of N/A, it appears to
 be most efficient to apply all of the N as a single
 application in the spring. If a split application is


 used, the second should be applied before the
 first of July.

4. Apply N fertilizer to bahiagrass pasture in Feb-
 ruary or March. Bahiagrass produces growth in the
 early spring, so a response in both forage growth
 and forage quality to N fertilizer will be obtained.
 Bahiagrass should continue to benefit into the
 growing season from an early N application.

5. A mineral supplement containing P and trace
 elements should be available to all cattle grazing
 bahiagrass pastures, especially those grazing
 pastures not fertilized with P205.


Table 3. Average phosphorus and potassium levels in regrowth bahiagrass receiving different fertilizer treatments at nine commer-
 cial ranch sites from April through December of 1987, 1988, and 1989.
 Na NPKc
 March, March,
 No Na NPKb Na NKd
Item Fert. March March Sept. Sept.

Phosphorus. %h

1987e 0.30 0.31 0.34 0.29 0.36
1988' 0.22 0.21 0.27 0.21 0.28
19899 0.27 0.25 0.31 0.24 0.35

Avg. 0.27 0.26 0.31 0.25 0.33

Potassium, %h

1987 0.70 0.79 0.86 0.77 0.93
1988 0.41 0.40 0.45 0.36 0.50
1989 0.88 0.97 1.04 0.84 1.19

Avg. 0.68 0.74 0.81 0.69 0.90
a,b,c,d,e,fg,hSee respective footnotes on table 1.


Table 4. Soil analysis for eight south Florida commercial ranch sites across all fertilization treatments and for fertilization
 treatments across all sites.e
Item pH P K Mg Ca Zn Cu Mn

 ppm Mehlich-l extractable
County location

Desoto 6.3 11 14 77 372 1.2 0.3 1.0
Hardee 6.1 10 19 51 802 1.2 0.8 1.8
Highlands 5.5 9 70 90 824 1.6 0.4 1.1
Hillsborough 4.7 11 29 44 428 2.4 0.2 1.0
Manatee 4.9 7 36 59 446 2.2 0.2 1.7
Okeechobee 6.1 25 40 48 617 4.2 1.1 3.6
Polk 6.2 3 22 88 678 0.8 0.2 70.7
Sarasota 5.0 6 21 43 474 1.5 0.4 0.4

Fertilization treatment

No fertilizer 5.6 12 35 62 570 1.8 0.4 1.5
N March 5.6 10 28 62 582 1.8 0.5 1.5
NPK Marchb 5.6 10 29 62 587 1.9 0.5 1.3
N March, N Sept.c 5.6 10 29 65 597 2.0 0.4 1.5
NPK March, NK Sept.d 5.6 9 38 63 576 1.9 0.4 1.4
a,b,c,dSee respective footnotes on table 1.
eData obtained from composite of five 6-inch cores from each treatment on each site for three spring and three fall samplings. County values
are the average of 30 samples and treatment values are the average of 120 samples.