Nitrate Testing
Nitrate testing is recommended for any forage, cover crop, or hay field that has been
stressed. Nitrate toxicity is particularly common in fields with drought stress.
Recommended Sampling Procedures:
If you collect standing forage for testing, bring 8-10 whole plants (from the ground
up) from multiple locations in the field. If it is a pivot, make sure you get plants
from both the inside and outside of the field. If testing baled hay, collect core
samples from at least 10% of the bales from a field. A hay probe is available at
the office to borrow.
Nitrate Test Options:
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Nitrate Strip Test – This option is also done by the Extension Agent. It can be done on green or dry forage. It provides a range of possible nitrate levels. At high levels, a lab test is still recommended. An MSU study determined that this test has a 73% accuracy with fewer false negatives.
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Nitrate Lab Test – Any forage testing lab can provide this for you as long as they provide wet chemistry analysis. If you want to work with our office, MSU Analytical Labs will be used which costs $20 per sample. It provides you with an exact level of nitrates. Regardless of the lab you choose, make sure that you get recommendations specific for Montana. Many labs will provide recommendations for Nebraska or Pennsylvania. Because we have an arid climate and higher nitrate levels naturally in our environment, our recommendations tend to be more conservative than other states.