Fertiliser:

Due to weather conditions, fertiliser has been slow to move out of merchants’ yards around the country. This could have an impact on grass supply in April if nitrogen is not spread.

On a moderately stocked beef farm at 140kg organic N/ha, the recommendations is to have 27 units N/acre spread in March to meet grass demand with another 20 units/acre spread in April. Urea offers the best value in N fertiliser at the moment but needs damp cold conditions for it to work at maximum efficiency. At current prices, the cost per kg of N (March 2017) is:

  • CAN: €230/tonne for 270kg N = €0.85/kg N
  • Urea: €330/tonne for 460kg N = €0.71/kg N
  • Target the most efficient land with the first application of fertiliser, ie recently reseeded swards, high ryegrass swards, fields that are high in pH, P and K. Research has shown that soil temperature needs to be above 6°C before spreading and soil temperatures are running at 7-9°C this week across the country. Don’t forget lime, P and K, and if you need to build soil fertility, aim to spread a compound fertiliser in the second round to help build indexes. Avoid very high K compounds on land that will have lactating animals grazing as high K can lock up magnesium and lead to increased incidences of grass tetany. If K is very low, aim for an autumn application with a high K fertiliser for buildup purposes. As soon as ground conditions allow, fertiliser should be one of the first jobs on the list.