A key driver in profit is grass grown and grass utilised. If you can achieve high levels of this while reducing chemical nitrogen (N) reliance, your system will be highly profitable.
The National Fertiliser Database (NFD) has put a restriction on the amount of N and phosphorus (P) you can purchase, which should encourage farmers to be more efficient with their fertiliser.
Soil testing needs to commence on all farms if it is not already being done, which will contribute to the completion of a fertiliser plan, which will also strategically set out an accurate manure plan for the year.
In this case, there is no wastage or overuse of any fertiliser which will prove very cost-effective and will aid in getting your soil fertility to a place where your farm can perform at an optimum.
Reducing chemical nitrogen
The use of clover and multi-species swards is another way of reducing your N reliance, as clover has capability of fixating between 80-120kg/ha N/year.
How much it fixates depends on the underlying soil fertility and sward management with multi-species also having extra benefits in terms of drought resistance.
Making the best use out of your slurry was a big topic of discussion at the Teagasc Johnstown Castle open day as the correct use of slurry can help reduce costs associated with growing grass.
Slurry provides a balance of N, P, and K along with other trace elements, with good quality cattle slurry applied through low emission slurry spreading (LESS) – can have nine units/ac of N, five units/ac of P and 32 units/ac of K, per 1000gal applied.
However, this can vary a lot as the quality of slurry is primarily influenced by its dry matter (DM) content, and the diet of the animal producing the slurry.
This slurry DM can be measured using a slurry hydrometer and the N, P and K content can be analysed in a laboratory which will produce information that will allow for more appropriate and targeted application rates to be applied to grass.
We know that LESS application is more effective but it can be applied to higher covers of up to 1,000kg DM/ha, as it substantially reduces grass contamination.
Switching from calcium ammonium nitrate (CAN) and urea to NBPT urea (i.e. protected urea) will directly reduce greenhouse gas emissions and ammonia emissions while reducing your costs.
In terms of cost, NBPT urea is substantially cheaper than CAN, and has the potential to reduce fertiliser costs by 15-20% while being as effective.
Ensuring accuracy
While soil testing followed by fertiliser plans, using NBPT urea over CAN and reducing your chemical N use is all well and good, but, if your fertiliser spreader is not spreading accurately or is not calibrated accordingly, you’ll be wasting your time.
Setup and calibration of fertiliser spreaders is very important to ensure even distribution of fertilisers when spreading which may involve adjusting the spreader settings to achieve accurate application rates and uniform coverage.
This will minimise the risk of over or under application which can lead to yield losses, environmental pollution, and increased production costs.
This involves regular maintenance of the machine and in particular the vane of the spreader. Worn vanes can hinder the spread pattern and distribution of the fertiliser, meaning that any worn vanes must be changed.
All fertiliser are different meaning they will exhibit varying flow characteristics and spread patterns as they have different particle sizes and densities.
Adjustments should be made for every type of fertiliser and this was highlighted by Teagasc’s farm machinery and milking machine specialist, Francis Quigley, at the Johnstown Castle open day.
To further mitigate over spreading and get optimal use of your fertiliser, farmers can use headland control mechanisms which allows the operator to adjust the spread pattern at field’s edges.