The first day of the prohibited period for spreading chemical fertiliser is 15 September, meaning the last day for spreading is 14 September, which is just over three weeks away.

I am a fan of blanket spreading nitrogen in late summer and early autumn, as I think it allows farmers to use nitrogen more strategically.

If planning to blanket spread the last two applications, farmers should commence the first blanket spread this week and the final blanket spread in three weeks’ time.

How much to spread all depends on the demand for autumn grass, which is dependent on stocking rate, whether or not the farm is on target now for grass now and how much clover is present in swards.

Environment

Nobody wants to waste nitrogen, not least because it’s bad for the environment.

When planning on how much nitrogen to apply this autumn, farmers need to ask themselves if it is really needed.

Cost and environment aside, building up enough grass in the autumn is critical if you are to have grass in spring.

On most highly stocked dairy platforms, farmers should be applying between 18 and 22 units of nitrogen now and the same again in three weeks’ time.

Where clover is present in good quantities, half rates can be applied.

An advantage of blanket spreading at this time of year is that all paddocks are covered, whereas if you are following grazing with nitrogen, some poor-performing paddocks will get less nitrogen than they probably need.

Make sure fertiliser spreaders are correctly set up before spreading to ensure the correct rate is going out.