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 some heavier loam soils, do not 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.
The first thing to consider when looking at the finer details of grassland management is whether you have a full understanding of your soil and its nutritional status. If the answer is no, then to get the maximum benefit from a reseed or established leys, I would always advise checking the soil structure and sampling on a field-by-field basis. This will help to determine key factors such as the pH of your soil which is essential for nutrient availability, as well as the current levels of N, P, K and other elements.
Grass breeder, Germinal, recently identified that soil which is moderately damaged – with poor soil structure and which is suffering
Overseeding is a very simple but effective way to rejuvenate old or damaged grass leys without the cost of a complete reseed. Increases in yield and quality can be achieved without ploughing and the time spent out of production can be reduced.
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.”
With cropping decisions being made, now is a great time to carry out soil sampling to plan your fertiliser regime for the coming season. Good yields may have results in greater nutrient offtake which will need to be replenished to ensure your subsequent crops can reach their full potential. By soil sampling now you can also gauge whether there is a requirement for an autumn application of fertiliser.
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.
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.
Many grassland farmers with a high stocking rate and significant feed inputs have moved away from using fertilisers containing P (Phosphate). But it’s important to know that even a maintenance application of P to keep soil indexes at target 2 can have an impact on grass yields.
With yields on cereal crops widely being reported across the industry as much as 1 tonne higher per acre, (2.5 tonne per hectare) than last year, and grass yields certainly outstripping 2018, grain stores and silage clamps are looking fuller going into the winter this year.
We are facing unprecedented times, and farming along with other industries are having to ensure their businesses are as well positioned as they can be to manage the impact our withdrawal from the EU in whatever form that might be, will have. The engine room and lifeblood of any farm is the soil, an element that has the potential to impact greatly on farm profitability. Knowing the fertility of your soils is key in determining the most efficient and cost-effective choices that should be made when using both fertilisers and manures.
