The Terra Range Series is proudly brought to you by Agriland Media in collaboration with Target Fertilisers.
Over the coming years, Irish farmers will face several environmentally-linked challenges at both a national and European level.
- Since the start of this year, 3,000 Irish farmers are working under the revised nitrates derogation of 220kg nitrogen (N) per hectare (ha), down from 250kg N/ha;
- Already in play, is the 2021 Climate Action Plan, which specified a 10% reduction in N by 2025, which will increase to 20% by 2030;
- These requirements, in addition to the EU’s Farm to Fork strategy, which includes a 20% reduction in chemical fertiliser use by 2030, means that farmers are already taking the necessary steps to achieve greater N use efficiency (NUE) now.
Irish farming systems are among the most sophisticated in the world in terms of production, product quality, scale and animal welfare.
Farmers throughout the country regularly use nutrient use efficiency technologies to reduce or stop N losses, such as lime, as well as soil indices and protected urea.
As farmers continue to work with regulation, we must also look at not only reducing N on farm, but how we can improve uptake and utilisation of the N that we apply.
As the winner of the 2023 FBD Better Farming Award (AgTech Ireland Best Agritech Science Product) and the 2021 Enterprise Ireland Innovation Arena Award, the Terra Range of fertilisers with PSI362 Precision Technology has been developed as an alternative to untreated, inorganic N fertiliser.
Terra Range
Target Fertilisers, in collaboration with Brandon Bioscience, have created the Terra Range – which provides a practical solution tailored to meet the evolving demands which farmers are guided by when it comes to reducing nitrate levels and preserving water quality.
Based in Co. Kerry, Brandon Bioscience has produced PSI362 Precision Technology – a seaweed-based biostimulant which optimises N uptake and utilisation within the plant.
With proven multi-level activity in the plant through absorption, transportation and utilisation, PSI362 Precision is expertly coated onto NPK fertiliser granules, and provides farmers with the solution to apply up to 25% less N on farm, while maintaining yields.
PSI362 Precision Technology is a biostimulant derived from the brown seaweed, Ascophyllum nodosum, and its effects have been published in in four peer-reviewed papers including the Journal of Agronomy and Frontiers in Plant Science.
It is approved under the EU Fertilising Products Regulation (FPR) 2019/1009 and carries the CE mark.
PSI362 Precision Technology stimulates both N uptake and assimilation mechanisms in the plant when applied at the same time as your N fertiliser, and so it takes up more of the available N in the soil.
This means we get similar biomass levels produced with up to 25% less N, as well as seeing higher dry matter (DM) levels in the crop.
Given the challenges facing Irish agriculture, the Terra Range represents a sustainable fertiliser solution for our farmers to maintain yields, maintain stocking rates, as well as preserve water quality and meet environmental targets.
Throughout this four-part series, we’ll introduce you to two Irish farmers who have, at first-hand, witnessed the positive results arising from the use of the Terra Range on their holdings.