Thousands of forage sample analyses helped confirm the need for forage testing. Results showed extreme DCAD variability. Reasons for
variability include:

• Potash fertilizer source. An economical potash fertilizer is potassium chloride, which is commonly applied to promote crop growth. Potassium leaches from the soil over time while chloride remains. As a result, cows will eat high-chloride forages. When manure is applied back on the field more chloride ions are available for plant utilization, eventually influencing forage DCAD.
  
  
• Extreme summer weather conditions. Inconsistent or extreme weather conditions during critical growth stages influence how a plant diverts nutrient uptake. This ultimately influences macromineral levels in the plant, thus forage DCAD after harvesting.

Regional Results
Results by geographic region shown below demonstrate the wide range in forage DCAD variability.

After compiling and interpreting the forage analyses, results confirmed:

• Most average DCAD levels fell within accepted book values, but individual samples displayed wide variability.
• Forage DCAD variability can have a wide variety of causes. Due to this variability, using book values alone cannot provide accurate forage
  DCAD levels.
• Without wet chemistry forage testing, it’s impossible to know the supplemental macrominerals necessary to balance the proper ration for the different production phases.