When growing high yielding varieties, often other agronomic features such as disease resistance are sometimes overlooked. The fungicides at our disposal today are capable of producing extremely good results, but it is important to apply as much thought to the fungicide programme and timings as to the choice of product, to achieve optimum yield potential.
Over recent years, the emphasis has moved away from reactive fungicide applications to treat visible disease in the crop, and more towards a strategy where prevention is better than cure. To achieve this, the fungicides must be applied at the correct time and early in the development of the disease, or even before infection occurs, with timing infl uenced by growth stage, weather and the variety’s disease resistance.
Improving Nitrogen fertiliser Use Efficiency (NfUE) will be one of the most important ways in which UK growers can improve their business productivity in the future.
The single most important decision you can make to maximise your NfUE lies in the type of fertiliser you choose in the first place, says CF Fertilisers’ head agronomy Dr. Sajjad Awan. Whilst good management can help finetune the effectiveness of your applications, start with the wrong Nitrogen source and you’ll be locked into lower levels of NfUE with little you can do to lift it, he says.
“NfUE is essentially a measure of how much of the Nitrogen applied ends up in the crop. “In simple terms, if you apply 100kg N/ha and only 50kg N/ha is taken up by your crop, you will have an NfUE of 50% and half of the N you have paid for has gone somewhere other than into your crops as intended “Improving NfUE benefits your crop, your pocket and the wider environment.
Whether you are looking at it from the perspective of clean air, reducing your carbon footprint or increasing production efficiency, loss of N from the cropping system is a major problem.”
Farm trails prove Nitram to be the best choice
Nitram (34.5%N) has proved itself time and time again to be the best choice for achieving optimum NfUEs in the UK’s maritime climate, he says.
“NfUE gains achieved by AN over other forms of solid and liquid Nitrogen used on farm today are typically 10 – 15%.”
But across UK national trials and our own farm trials, fertiliser systems based around Nitram and our AN-based True Granular Compounds can achieve NfUEs of 80% and above compared to the 50 - 60% of many other systems.
“Nitram has half the carbon footprint of other sources of AN and, being British made, it has a shorter and simpler supply chain with significantly less ‘fertiliser miles’ involved as well."
“Another key advantage is that it can be spread reliably and accurately to 36m with recent trials carried out by fertiliser spreader and calibration specialists SCS confirming this across a range of the most popular spreaders.”
Getting more out of every Kg of fertiliser you apply will be essential in maximising your margins and meeting your environmental obligations in the future, Sajjad Awan adds.
“Maximising NfUE can help you produce the highest yields at the best quality whilst minimising the potential environmental impact of your production.”
“A key advantage of Nitram is that it can be spread reliably and accurately to 36m with recent trials confirming this across a range of the most popular spreaders.”
5 ways you can maximise NfUE
1. Set realistic yield expectations
Start by thinking about what yields you can realistically achieve and the markets you are aiming for.
2. Measure to manage Nitrogen
Soil Mineral Nitrogen testing (SMN) is only a snapshot in time whereas a CF N-Min test includes vital Additionally Available Nitrogen (AAN) which will indicate all the N available to your crop as the season develops.
3. Use only what you need
Use N-Min to set a baseline for calculating precise N requirements. Too much N will reduce your NfUE as will too little as your crop’s full potential will not have been reached.
4. Balance crop nutrient demand
Other key nutrients help drive efficient N utilisation, so make sure you also test for Potash, Phosphate, Magnesium and Sulphur.
CF Fertilisers UK Ltd assumes no liability for reliance on, or any errors or omissions in, the information provided in this document. For a precise farm specific recommendation please contact your FACTS Qualified Adviser.
Don’t forget Sulphur
Sulphur is also essential in driving N utilisation plus it’s an important component in the proteins needed for achieving the highest milling specifications, Sajjad Awan says. “There’s much less in the atmosphere than there used to be so supplementing N fertilisers with Sulphur is important. “True granular compounds such as CF DoubleTop (27N + 30SO3), SingleTop (27N + 12SO3) and our NPKS products provide a range of options to suit all situations.”
Autumn Seeds 2021 Brochure
Request a copy of the Autumn Seeds 2021 brochure today, choose from a digital or printed copy.
The 2021/22 AHDB Recommended List sees several high-yielding varieties introduced in the wheat and barley groups. For maximum potential yield to be achieved, crops need to be provided with the correct balance of essential nutrients throughout the growing season.
It would be an understatement to say we have seen some changeable weather over recent weeks! April was one of the coldest and driest on record since the 1980’s, followed by plenty of showers in May. This combination has not provided a great basis for early grass growth, and those who cut early, or have managed to dodge the more recent showers will have seen mixed results.
For cost-effective weed control in root crops the emphasis must be placed on pre-emergence application of herbicides. Every year we receive a large number of calls from concerned growers who have applied no herbicide at all and who are concerned that their root crop is disappearing under a sea of weeds. By this point, it is usually too late to save the crop!
Fertiliser prices have increased significantly since the beginning of 2021, particularly for Nitrogen and DAP/TSP, and this upward trend appears to be continuing into spring.
The last three maize seasons have had the same result – a mixed bag of performance depending on region, drilling date and harvest timings. However, in 2020, growers had a new challenge to contend with.
The removal of the seed treatment Mesurol left a hole in the crop protection armoury, resulting in crops being at greater risk from bird damage, which in previous years would not be high on the list of issues for most growers.
The evidence that most grassland soils require the application of sulphur from fertilisers to maximise grass silage and grazing yields still mounts. Most farmers now appreciate that all light and medium soils, and even now some heavier loam soils, don’t release enough sulphur from organic matter to allow grass growth and quality to meet potential. They also realise that there is not enough available sulphur in slurries and manures to meet demand.
Studying your silage clamp and looking at key indicators can benefit the quality of your silage at feed-out. This short video from Ecosyl highlights some of the top tips for assessing your clamp to help maximise the nutritional value of your silage.
