By Victor Shelton
I was recently at a pasture ecology workshop in Southern Indiana and there was a lot of discussion about the weather and its impact on pastures this year. For most of the area east of the Mississippi River there was a lot of forage growth, and it came on fast.
Most of those same areas have had a lot of rain. Prolonged rainfall and saturated soils create anaerobic conditions, leading to nitrogen losses through denitrification, leaching and reduced uptake. Grasses are highly affected, while legumes may lose some nitrogen-fixing ability.
Saturated soils and nitrogen loss place significant stress on cool-season forages, weakening root function, reducing nutrient uptake, and slowing growth.
Source : osu.edu