Fertilizer should be applied evenly over the top surface followed by a thorough irrigation to move the material into the bale . Since nitrogen levels are the limiting factor in the preconditioning process, one should select a water-soluble fertilizer high in nitrogen. As an alternative to the schedules shown in tables 1 and 2, Wilson recommended a constant liquid feed with 250 parts per million of nitrogen be used with frequent but small additions until the bales are saturated. At that point the bales are planted and liquid feed continues at every watering; 1.5 teaspoons of 24-8-16 in 5 gallons of water will approximate his method. Either organic or synthetic materials will work, but organic materials such as fish emulsion will be more expensive. Products such as fish emulsion produce a strong, disagreeable odor as the bale composts. In urban settings, this odor may be strong enough to be noticed by neighbors. Fish emulsion and other products with a similar odor can attract wildlife—particularly skunks and raccoons—that can damage the bale. Some dogs may be attracted to these bales as well and should be supervised during the conditioning process if fish emulsion is used. Figure 2 shows a bale treated with fish emulsion damaged during the night by a raccoon. Flies may also be attracted to fish emulsion when used in conditioning the bale. If animal damage occurs, replace the loose straw back into the bale firmly as soon as possible.To prepare the bale for planting, vertical growing weed apply either the full rate or half rate of the fertilizer used as determined by the preconditioning schedule you selected. Rates to use of common materials are shown in table 3. Enough variability exists between bales and gardeners’ watering practices that exact accuracy is unnecessary.
After the first 9 days of preparing the bales, once they have cooled down internally below 99°F , the conditioning process has progressed enough to plant; however, bales may not appear visually different than when the process began. A thermometer inserted into the side of the bale can be used to monitor the temperature. It is normal for this process to take 9 to 14 days. Continue to keep bales moist during this time. Figure 3 shows the recorded temperatures of two bales conditioned with 24-8-16. The composting process continues after the initial 9-day conditioning period but at a slower pace with lower temperatures than during the initial phase. Past studies of intensive wheat straw composting show this second phase can last from 20 to 37 days, after which temperatures return to ambient . It is common for mushrooms to emerge from the bale after conditioning. This is normal and is a sign of active decomposition in the bales. These mushrooms should be considered toxic and should not be eaten. Their presence will not affect your plants, but their emergence can disrupt the seed bed, interfering with germination. In low desert basins with highly saline soils, salts may be drawn upward into the bale when bales are set directly on the ground. An air gap formed by locating bales on coarse gravel or similar material will interrupt this process. Alternatively, bales can placed atop an impermeable surface such as concrete or plastic sheeting. Once the conditioning process begins, the bales should not be moved.The process of raising crops in straw bales is very similar to that used in raised bed gardening. Gardening guides such as the California Master Gardener Handbook provide cultural information for many crops; however, growing in straw bales deviates from traditional gardening in two important aspects: planting and nutrient management. Bales are usually good for only one growing season.
After that they can be used as mulch or added to a compost pile.For plants usually grown from seeds such as lettuce, squash, and carrots, an effective method of planting is to cover the surface with 2 to 3 inches of a soilless potting mix or media suitable for growth. This allows seeds to germinate in a finer-textured medium than straw. Seed planted in this prepared surface can be planted in the same manner as one would plant a traditional garden in soil or a raised bed. This method is also suitable for small transplants An alternative to starting seeds in the bale is to remove some of the bale to make a small hole. Fill this hole with a potting mix and plant seeds into the prepared area. This technique is appropriate for vegetables that form large plants, such as squash. As with any garden, plants should be spaced with enough room for them to grow. Planting suggestions for common warm-season vegetables are provided in table 4. For other crops, follow space recommendations printed on seed packets or consult a garden reference to guide you.For plants grown as transplants, remove some straw or pry apart the straw “flakes” with a garden trowel and set the transplant and its soil into the opening. Add additional potting soil to fill any gaps. Water immediately after transplanting, ensuring that both the potting soil and bale are well irrigated. Any trellises or supports should be anchored directly into the ground. As a bale decomposes, its ability to provide support diminishes, and the trellis may fall over. Bales aligned in a row with a single T-post at each end as an anchor are a good option for support and will provide additional support for the bales on the ends as they decompose. When planting bales, be sure to give consideration to how you will irrigate your crop.
Soaker hoses and drip emitters are common methods of providing water slowly to each bale. New transplants set into straw bales may dry out quickly until their roots move into the bale. Expect to water frequently while bales are still fresh. As the bales age and plants’ roots spread throughout the bale, the frequency of irrigation will diminish.Management of vegetation with fire, heavy equipment, herbicides, improved forage plants, and fertilizer played an important role in range improvement following World War II until the late 1970s. Increased fuel and fertilizer costs following the energy crisis of the mid-1970s, low prices for livestock in the 1980s and ’90s, increased liability associated with prescribed burning, the ban from the Environmental Protection Agency on the use of 2,4,5-T for brush control, requirements for environmental impact statements, and other economic and policy changes all conspired to reduce the economic return from many range improvement practices. In addition, low grazing land rental rates often made it more cost effective to rent another acre than to improve an acre. While these forces may have reduced the application of range improvement practices on California’s rangelands for the past 30 years, vegetation management remains the only practical way to increase carrying capacity or to improve wildlife habitat. Current trends of higher lease rates and limited availability of rental property due to conversion to other uses may rejuvenate interest in these practices. Vegetation management has been a continuing theme of research at the University of California since the late 1880s . Prior to the 1970s, the focus was primarily to increase carrying capacity by growing more forage and improving animal performance by increasing forage quality. Following federal and state environmental legislation in the 1970s, management for water quality, air quality, and threatened and endangered species became important management objectives on California’s and the nation’s rangelands. While increasing carrying capacity by producing more forage remains an important objective, ranchers and public agencies also manage for fire hazard reduction, improved water quality, air quality, and biodiversity. Suppressing introduced species and restoring native species has become a major theme among conservation organizations and some government agencies. In this publication, we will first identify practices that reduce seasonal gaps in forage availability and quality. Then we will discuss the economics of vegetation management. Finally, we will review brush and weed control,rangeland seeding, and rangeland fertilization practices, growing rack emphasizing the findings and recommendations of the University of California and other researchers as they have been the main source of what is known about rangeland improvement on annual rangelands.Most ranches in California combine irrigated and dryland hay and pasture with the rangeland forage base in an integrated forage system.
These additional forages are complementary to the rangeland forage base, and they increase the carrying capacity of the ranch or improve forage quality. Annual rangeland ranches depend on numerous complementary forages and feed sources to provide adequate nutrients for beef cattle and sheep production enterprises. Several common and uncommon sources of feed and forage are described below for different seasons of the year. The productive potential and feasibility of each of these sources must be adapted to the forage plant and livestock requirements, and these are dependent on the ranch’s natural, managerial, and financial resources.In this section, we will discuss the influence of vegetation management practices on seasonal forage production, forage quality, and animal performance. The range improvement practice alternatives are often applied in combination with weed and brush control to increase carrying capacity while mitigating seasonal forage gaps. For a thorough discussion of seasonal forage productivity including examples of seasonal and annual production, see the first publication in this series, “Mediterranean Climate,” and Becchetti et al. . The seventh publication in this series, “Livestock Production,” discusses seasonal forage quality and animal performance. The annual range forage year has been divided into seasons to reflect variations in productivity, quality, and animal performance. Bentley and Talbot segregated the seasons into the inadequate-green season, adequate-green season, and inadequate-dry season. George et al. and Becchetti et al. defined four seasons: fall onset of growth, winter slow growth, rapid spring growth, and summer dry. Each of these seasons has characteristic productivity limitations. The fall season is the period between the first germinating rains and the onset of cool winter temperatures. This season can be quite short to several weeks long, depending on the timing of fall precipitation and the onset of cool temperatures. During this period, the dry residual forage that was produced the previous season provides low-quality dry matter for grazing. As germination and seedling establishment progresses, the amount of new green forage increases. This new forage is high in protein and energy, but high water content may limit nutrient intake. During winter, new forage continues to grow slowly, and residual dry forage disappears due to grazing and decomposition. During the fall-winter period, low forage levels can limit intake of dry matter, energy, protein, and other nutrients. Supplementation, seeding, and fertilization can improve animal performance during the fall and winter period. Rapid spring growth begins with rising spring temperatures. During this portion of the growing season, forage quantity and quality are usually adequate for rapid livestock gains. Forage level increases rapidly and frequently outproduces the livestock’s ability to consume it. Unused forage at the end of this season remains as low-quality dry residue. Forage production and quality during this period are increased by seeding legumes and fertilization. Although not common, excess forage can be conserved as high-quality hay for future use if properly timed. Conservation of forage avoids risk associated with uncertain weather conditions, and it may increase market flexibility. However, required equipment increases overhead costs. Standing dry forage gradually shatters and decomposes, resulting in continued decline in forage quality through the summer season. This forage provides energy to grazing stock but frequently is of inadequate quality to meet other nutrient requirements. Intake of this forage is limited by its quality. It is common practice to move stock to higher elevations and irrigated pasture or provide protein and mineral supplements during this season. Strategic use of appropriate legumes can increase the quality of this dry forage. The following seasonal forage and grazing management practices can provide solutions to limitations in forage production, quality, and utilization that are manifested as inadequate animal production per acre. Controlling medusahead, goatgrass, yellow starthistle and other weeds, in combination with the seeding and fertilization that may be desirable during this season, can increase carrying capacity of annual rangeland and forage quality.In California the cost of improving an acre of rangeland has always had to compete with the cost of renting an acre of grazing land. Often it has been cheaper to increase carrying capacity by renting another acre rather than paying the per-acre cost of range improvement. However, as it becomes harder to find grazing land to lease, range improvement may become more important.