What causes high nitrates in plants?
Anything that disrupts the normal growth of a plant can set the stage for excessive levels of nitrates (e.g. drought, hail, frost damage). While the plant is growing, it is in the process of transporting nitrogen from the soil (in the form of nitrates) and synthesizing it into plant protein. When that growth process is slowed or interrupted, the metabolic machinery that converts nitrates to protein does not work efficiently and consequently nitrates accumulate, especially in the lower portion of the stalk. For the first few days after a rain, nitrate levels can be excessive since the plant takes up additional nutrients, yet there has not been adequate time to convert nitrates to plant protein. Extended cloudy weather or dense plant populations that create shading of the leaves can also cause toxic levels of nitrates in plants. Management practices to prevent the occurrence of nitrate toxicity: • Forage test to know the levels in the forages that you are going to feed. • Put the forage
