MSU Extension Ag Alerts
Caution: Safe feeding levels of Nitrate (NO3) and Nitrate-Nitrogen (NO3-N) are not the same..
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It is getting late in the calving season but we just had one report of a producer confusing nitrate (NO3) and nitrate-nitrogen (NO3-N) ppm levels on a forage report, potentially resulting in still born calves. The NO3-N ppm level needed to elicit health concerns in pregnant livestock is much lower than for NO3. For example, Levels of 350 – 1,130 NO3-N ppm should be limited to 50% of the total ration in bred livestock. When viewed as NO3, this range increases from 1,500 – 5,000 ppm. When working with and advising producers make certain they know nitrate levels can be reported as either NO3 or NO3-N and that feeding levels based on ppm differ between the two. Please reference the MontGuide “Nitrate Toxicity of Montana Forage” http://animalrange.montana.edu/documents/extension/nittoxmt.pdf and contact me with any additional questions. Hayes Goosey, Extension Forage Specialist, hgoosey@montana.edu, 406.994.5688
Caution: Safe feeding levels of Nitrate (NO3) and Nitrate-Nitrogen (NO3-N) are not the same..
Click here to print alert
It is getting late in the calving season but we just had one report of a producer confusing nitrate (NO3) and nitrate-nitrogen (NO3-N) ppm levels on a forage report, potentially resulting in still born calves. The NO3-N ppm level needed to elicit health concerns in pregnant livestock is much lower than for NO3. For example, Levels of 350 – 1,130 NO3-N ppm should be limited to 50% of the total ration in bred livestock. When viewed as NO3, this range increases from 1,500 – 5,000 ppm. When working with and advising producers make certain they know nitrate levels can be reported as either NO3 or NO3-N and that feeding levels based on ppm differ between the two. Please reference the MontGuide “Nitrate Toxicity of Montana Forage” http://animalrange.montana.edu/documents/extension/nittoxmt.pdf and contact me with any additional questions. Hayes Goosey, Extension Forage Specialist, hgoosey@montana.edu, 406.994.5688