The fertiliser ban will soon come into play, meaning a plan must be put in place to make the most out of the final few weeks.
The deadline for spreading fertiliser this year is September 14.
Many farmers have been trying to reduce the level of chemical nitrogen (N) being spread on their farms, but it is still very important to get fertiliser out now to extend the grazing season and build covers.
Not only that, but with the slow grass growth seen throughout the grazing season, fodder supplies have taken a hit, meaning growing as much grass as possible is crucial.
It is important this year to try and maximise your N and phosphorus (P) allowance to guarantee a good fodder supply for the winter, while building good farm covers for the following spring.
Fertiliser
A plan must be put in place to make sure you are getting the best possible results from your grass for the remainder of the grazing season.
Farmers should go out with fertiliser and target specific paddocks to be spread to reduce overall fertiliser uses and reduce the risk of N losses. Blanket spreading might not be as beneficial during this time of the year.
Where there are paddocks with good levels of clover present, you should reduce the amount of N being spread, or even avoid spreading those paddocks if decent growth rates are still being observed.
On paddocks or fields where slurry is to be spread in the coming days, or has been applied, the rate of chemical N can also be reduced.
For paddocks not receiving slurry or have relatively low levels of clover present and where there is a demand, it is recommended that 30–35kg of N/ha (25 – 30 units/ac) be applied immediately on grazing land.
It is important to establish your remaining nitrogen allowance for your farm and get it out as soon as possible as N during late August gives a higher response.
Slurry
If there is still some slurry left in the tanks on the farm, farmers should aim to get it out in the coming weeks, as grass growth will slow down as we get further into the autumn.
Getting the slurry out now may help in building average farm covers and extending the grazing season, which will also help in building or saving fodder supplies for the winter months.
Slurry is a valuable source of fertiliser on farms and again, should be used in a way that ensures that you are getting the maximum benefit from it.
The paddocks or fields that it will be used on need to be targeted and it should be spread when conditions are suitable.
Fields or paddocks with a low P and potassium (K) indexes should be targeted, along with paddocks that have had bales or silage harvested from them.
Again, if paddocks are becoming too strong, it is best to act promptly in getting them cut and baled so slurry can be spread as soon as possible. Then, the paddock can grow back to a decent cover before the growing season closes in.