Ground conditions are slowly improving and farmers will be looking to get fertiliser applied to grazing and silage ground as early as possible. Outlined are five tips to get the most from fertiliser applications this spring.
1 Make sure ground conditions are suitable
If you are tracking ground with machinery, then it is too wet for fertiliser. In such cases, ground water levels are still too high, meaning there will be an increased chance of nutrient loss through leaching.
Therefore, only attempt to spread fertiliser on the driest fields at the moment. While the temptation will be to spread nitrogen while you can, leave wetter fields for a few weeks until ground conditions are better.
2 Target slurry to silage ground
Growing a crop of silage requires a lot of P and K and when harvested, these nutrients are removed in the forage.
Therefore, soil fertility in silage fields can quickly be depleted. Slurry is a good source of P and K, especially if it has been produced by intensively finished cattle on a high-concentrate diet.
Target as much slurry to silage ground this spring, then balance out the crop requirement with bagged fertiliser based on soil analysis.
Don’t wait to until after first cut to spread slurry, as the N availability will be much lower compared to an early spring application.
If there is still slurry leftover after silage ground has been treated, target grazing ground with low grass covers.
3 Choose a product with sulphur
Sulphur is a soil nutrient which is often forgotten. Yet if soils are sulphur-deficient, yields will be greatly reduced, especially on silage ground. So choose a fertiliser product containing sulphur to maximise grass growth this spring.
4 Take a 'little and often' approach to spreading
Restrict fertiliser applications to a maximum of 25 to 30 units of N per acre on grazing ground which have a high percentage of ryegrass. Smaller dressings that are applied more frequently will make better use of nutrients, but this is less practical on fragmented farms.
Larger applications can commonly be applied on silage ground. But for the most efficient use of nutrients, split the silage dressing across two fertiliser applications around three weeks apart.
5 Leave 10 to 12 days before slurry and fertiliser applications
Where possible, avoid spreading fertiliser and slurry on ground at the same time, as there is a greater risk of N loss as it converts to nitrous oxide.
For best results, apply slurry first and leave a short period of 10 to 12 days, then follow up with a dressing of chemical nitrogen.
Read more
N to kick-start growth this spring
Watch: farming suckler cows in the Burren
Ground conditions are slowly improving and farmers will be looking to get fertiliser applied to grazing and silage ground as early as possible. Outlined are five tips to get the most from fertiliser applications this spring.
1 Make sure ground conditions are suitable
If you are tracking ground with machinery, then it is too wet for fertiliser. In such cases, ground water levels are still too high, meaning there will be an increased chance of nutrient loss through leaching.
Therefore, only attempt to spread fertiliser on the driest fields at the moment. While the temptation will be to spread nitrogen while you can, leave wetter fields for a few weeks until ground conditions are better.
2 Target slurry to silage ground
Growing a crop of silage requires a lot of P and K and when harvested, these nutrients are removed in the forage.
Therefore, soil fertility in silage fields can quickly be depleted. Slurry is a good source of P and K, especially if it has been produced by intensively finished cattle on a high-concentrate diet.
Target as much slurry to silage ground this spring, then balance out the crop requirement with bagged fertiliser based on soil analysis.
Don’t wait to until after first cut to spread slurry, as the N availability will be much lower compared to an early spring application.
If there is still slurry leftover after silage ground has been treated, target grazing ground with low grass covers.
3 Choose a product with sulphur
Sulphur is a soil nutrient which is often forgotten. Yet if soils are sulphur-deficient, yields will be greatly reduced, especially on silage ground. So choose a fertiliser product containing sulphur to maximise grass growth this spring.
4 Take a 'little and often' approach to spreading
Restrict fertiliser applications to a maximum of 25 to 30 units of N per acre on grazing ground which have a high percentage of ryegrass. Smaller dressings that are applied more frequently will make better use of nutrients, but this is less practical on fragmented farms.
Larger applications can commonly be applied on silage ground. But for the most efficient use of nutrients, split the silage dressing across two fertiliser applications around three weeks apart.
5 Leave 10 to 12 days before slurry and fertiliser applications
Where possible, avoid spreading fertiliser and slurry on ground at the same time, as there is a greater risk of N loss as it converts to nitrous oxide.
For best results, apply slurry first and leave a short period of 10 to 12 days, then follow up with a dressing of chemical nitrogen.
Read more
N to kick-start growth this spring
Watch: farming suckler cows in the Burren
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