Spectrum Analytic Inc
1087 Jamison Rd
Washington Court House, OH 43160
(800) 321-1562
1087 Jamison Rd
Washington Court House, OH 43160
(800) 321-1562
Knowledge is key to using your analytic results to their fullest. The Spectrum Agronomic Library provides you with useful information that will help you to better understand the complex science of agronomy. Our agronomists will be continually adding original and reprinted articles, so check the library regularly for new information.
With mother nature's constantly changing weather patterns in different areas of the country there comes concern during dry years of the build up of nitrate levels in plants (particularly in corn silage) and the effects that it can have on livestock when used as feed. This paper was written to help the reader become more aware of the different guidelines and university recommendations as well as university interpretations as far as how to handle the nitrates levels in corn silage. At Spectrum Analytic, we are not livestock nutritionists nor are we feed specialists, however we do have the capability to test for nutrients levels in feeds, forages and other plants. And in this process we are sometimes asked to help with interpretations of the results, and that is the purpose of this paper, to give the reader some basic knowledge about nitrate levels in drought stressed corn and some precautions to follow.
As of July 1, 2005, Spectrum Analytic began reporting P, K, Ca, and Mg results as unadjusted Mehlich 3 (M3) values in parts per million (ppm). Prior to this date, samples were extracted with the Mehlich 3 solution, and the results mathematically converted to their equivalents in the older tests of Bray P1 for soil P, and 1Normal ammonium acetate (1NAoAc) for K, Ca, and Mg.
The table below shows the correlation formula we used to convert M3-ppm to the lbs/a values.
| Table 1: Correlation Formulas | ||
|---|---|---|
| Nutrient | Formula | Result |
| M3-P | (Mehlich-3 ppm x 0.7) x 2 | Bray P1 in lbs/a |
| M3-K | (Mehlich-3 ppm x 0.84) x 2 | 1NAoAc K in lbs/a |
| M3-Ca | (Mehlich-3 ppm x 0.75) x 2 | 1NAoAc Ca in lbs/a |
| M3-Mg | (Mehlich-3 ppm x 0.88) x 2 | 1NAoAc Mg in lbs/a |
For a complete explanation, see the original announcement of the change in Spectrum Analytic Reporting Conversions
Water is important nutrient to all livestock and poultry. As with feed ingredients, livestock water should meet the nutritional needs of the animal. Most minerals and dissolved solids found in water provide nutritional benefits when present within limited concentrations. This paper can be used as a guide to the recommended limits of certain substances commonly found in water used for livestock and poultry.
| Guidelines for Evaluating the Quality of Water for Livestock | ||
|---|---|---|
| Quality Factor | Threshold Concentration (ppm) | Limiting Concentrations (ppm) |
| Total dissolved solids (TDS) | 2500 | 5000 |
| Calcium | 500 | 1000 |
| Magnesium | 250 | 500 |
| Sodium | 1000 | 2000 |
| Bicarbonate | 500 | 500 |
| Chloride | 1500 | 3000 |
| Nitrate (see table for more detailed listing) | 200 | 400 |
| Sulfate (see table for more detailed listing) | 500 | 1000 |
| Range of pH | 6.0 to 8.5 | 5.6 to 9.0 |