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Soil Fertility

The potential yield of a forage crop, be it pasture or hay, is based on the soil the crop is growing in and the fertility of that soil. The following set of fact sheets and accompanying spreadsheets provide fertility recommendations using current soil test results from any of a number of soil testing labs used throughout the Mid-Atlantic area. Also included is information on comparing the value of different sources of agricultural limestone.

The fertility recommend tool provides recommendations based on the productivity potential of the dominant soil in a field. Another resource to become familiar with is the USDA Web Soil Survey. The Web Soil Survey allows you to determine the soils in a hay field or pasture and provides a description of the characteristics of those soils and has links to a number of other fact sheets dealing with soils and soil health.

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Ed Rayburn and Tom Basden, Extension Specialists, WVU Extension Service, Agriculture and Natural Resources
To protect the health and safety of our employees and community, many WVU and WVU Extension Service employees are working remotely. While we may not be physically in our brick and mortar offices, we are working hard to assist our fellow West Virginians in all 55 counties. For information about WVU’s efforts, check coronavirus.wvu.edu for more.