Horse Pasture Renovation
When planning to renovate a horse pasture the first thing you should do is walk the pasture and determine what plant species currently exist and make an assessment of the overall condition of the pasture. If the pasture consists primarily of grass andor legume species but is being considered for renovation due to low productivity changes in pasture management may be more effective and more economical than a complete renovation. Such things as fertilizer weed control and grazing management may produce big gains. If on the other hand few desirable species are present and the pasture is infested with weeds then renovation may be the best solution. If the site was previously in some other crop then renovation will also be required to establish the desired pasture species.
Prior to any tillage operations it is important to determine what weed species are growing on the site as some species e g. quackgrass Canada thistle may be more effectively controlled by applying a herbicide before any cultivation is done. Cultivation procedures such as discing or rotavating may just spread these weeds throughout the field as they can regrow from a small fragment of root material. For specific information on weed control contact your farm supply outlet or your local office of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food.
The best time to take a soil sample for analysis of nutrient requirements is prior to a new seeding. This will allow you to incorporate any needed fertilizers into the seedbed or to band them near the seed at time of seeding. This allows for more efficient use of fertilizers especially phosphorous and lime which need to be in the root zone as they do not move down readily when applied on the surface. High phosphorous levels are important for encouraging good root growth and to improve seedling vigor. Micronutrients such as boron may also be applied and incorporated prior to seeding. Nitrogen and potassium may be applied after the crop has become established. High levels of nitrogen and potassium prior to seeding are not desirable as it may promote vigorous weed growth and can cause root burning and injury of seedlings.
Tillage operations such as plowing discing and harrowing are required to turn existing vegetation under the soil surface and to prepare a good seedbed. If the pasture you are renovating has a significant amount of sod and plant material plowing is the preferred primary tillage operation as it is more effective than discing or rotovating in burying the old plant material. After the field is plowed it may require two or three passes with a disc followed by harrowing to level and pack the soil. The objective is a firm clodfree seedbed. Any fertilizer to be applied should be broadcast prior to the last discing operation. If the field is to be rotovated instead of plowed it is important to pack the field either with a roller or by dragging a float. Rotovating produces a very fluffy loose
