Many beef farmers find themselves in a situation where they are unsure as to what is the best course of action for them with regards to their spring fertiliser application.
With fertiliser prices having soared over the winter months, many farmers are adapting a ‘wait and see’ approach – however, the time to start planning is now.
Ground conditions – for this time of year – are relativity good in most parts of the country. However, Met Éireann’s monthly forecast would indicate that higher than average precipitation may take hold in the coming weeks, while temperatures are forecast to remain above average too.
This would indicate that ground conditions may deteriorate over the coming weeks but growing conditions will likely improve if milder weather takes hold.
In light of the overall situation, Teagasc has recently moved to launch a Soils, Nutrients and Fertiliser Campaign, which aims “to assist farmers in the short-term as well as offering a long-term solution in the move to reduce dependency on chemical fertiliser”.
When looking at options to stimulate spring grass growth, the most cost-effective product available to a farm is slurry.
According to Teagasc, an early application of 2,000 – 2,500 gallons/ac of slurry will replace 20-25kg of fertiliser Nitrogen (N)/ha or 16-20 units of N/ac
Farmers should aim to have the majority of their slurry spread by mid April.
Where applying slurry, farmers should target it at silage ground and fields which are low in Phosphorus (P) and Potassium (K).
For the best response from a spring-fertiliser application, soil temperatures should be approaching 5° and rising at the time of application.
Before spreading chemical fertiliser, farmers should ensure that their spreader is callibrated correctly and is not letting out too much or not enough product.
Farmers should also check the weather forecast to ensure no heavy rain is forecast in the immediate days after spreading.
It is worth remembering that in a year where virtually all input costs on beef farms are increasing, grazed grass is still the cheapest feed available for beef production and getting the timing right when turning cattle out to grass early, will reduce cost of production.
Farmers who are looking to apply N fertiliser should assess the options available to them. Although protected urea is the most expensive chemical N/t, it is more cost-effective per unit of N than many other options and this is worth keeping in mind when ordering fertiliser.
Beef farmers should assess roughly how much fertiliser they plan to spread this spring and identify approximately what it will cost them.
Where possible, farmers should also identify alternative options available to them, i.e. pig slurry, which would help to reduce their fertiliser bill.