First functions of nitrogen this spring will value lower than they did in 2022, when costs soared following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
However they’re nonetheless more likely to value at the very least double what they did in 2021.
The most recent figures from AHDB present ammonium nitrate (AN) prices £682/t and granular urea is buying and selling at £582/t.
These are decrease than a month in the past, besides, it may very well be a false economic system for growers to chop again, warns grassland and forage specialist Charlie Morgan.
He says the query each grassland farmer should ask themselves is: What worth am I getting from my nitrogen?
See additionally: Methods to handle turnout of youngstock for optimum intakes
“Spring grass is essentially the most priceless grass a farm will develop all 12 months,” he says.
Fertiliser v concentrates
For dairy farmers, it comes right down to the easy economics of figuring out what number of litres of milk this funding will return on the present milk value.
At £682/t, it should value a enterprise £1.98/kg to use AN to develop 15kg of dry matter (DM) of grass at first of the grazing season – the equal of 13p/kg DM.
“That works out dearer than it has ever been,” says Mr Morgan.
“However, in the event you take a look at the very best person, the dairy sector, if milk producers should not rising that grass to graze or lower as silage, the feed should come from someplace, and meaning shopping for in concentrates.”
Arguments towards scrimping
At a median value of £400/t, concentrates value 45p/kg DM. If grass is of top quality, its protein and power worth shall be comparable with concentrates, he provides.
He calculates that if grass is at 12MJ/kg DM metabolisable power (ME), 15kg will produce 180MJ. It takes 5.3MJ to provide a litre of milk, so 180MJ will produce an additional 34 litres of milk.
Though each farm and each system is totally different, Mr Morgan means that at these figures farmers can’t afford to chop again on early functions until they destock.
© Tim Scrivener
“It’s a false economic system to cut back N inputs from an utility that can give a greater grass development response than any functions made later within the 12 months, until the farm is planning to cut back its stocking price,” he says.
Though there’s an environmental argument for slicing again on N, he factors out that the N wanted for feeding inventory should come from someplace.
“If a farm isn’t getting feed from grass and has to purchase in concentrates to exchange it, that brings extra phosphate onto the farm.”
Making use of N early will even assist with the restoration of grass after grazing and make extra grass out there within the following grazing spherical.
Recommendations on getting the perfect from early functions of fertiliser
1. Goal the best fields
Soil fertility and construction have an enormous affect on the effectivity of N functions and the ensuing payback.
With out the right soil fertility, N effectivity will fall off a cliff and the economics of making use of N will work towards you.
- Analyse soils and goal early N utility to fields most certainly to reply.
- Fields ought to be at pH 6.2–6.4, index 2 for phosphorus (P) and potassium (Ok), and N ought to be utilized to south-facing, hotter floor. It’s by no means too late to set the wheels in movement and deal with shortfalls to get the soil the place it must be for optimum effectivity.
- If evaluation exhibits low P and Ok, apply slurry if climate situations and nitrate weak zone (NVZ) guidelines permit. Making use of slurry within the spring by low-emission strategies at a price of 25cu m/ha will provide 25kg/ha of obtainable N, so chemical N charges will be revised accordingly.
- Goal slurry at high-demand areas akin to silage fields and grazing land with low P and Ok ranges.
- Assess tightness within the soil as this will have an effect on rooting depth. If floor is compacted, lack of percolation into the soil will lead to N utilized being washed away.
2. Utility charges and timing
- Intention for as much as 30kg N/ha for the primary utility. Nonetheless, if slurry has already been utilized, charges will must be adjusted.
- Apply early N solely when the grass is actively rising – for optimum utilisation, soil temperatures have to be 5C at a soil depth of 5cm for every week.
- Apply to fields with perennial ryegrass swards or not too long ago reseeded fields. For the quickest response and fewer losses, apply to grass covers larger than 1,800kg DM/ha or at a top of 5cm or extra, which have extra leaf out there to make use of the N utilized.
3. Put money into lime
- The economics of liming all the time stack up – lime will increase the supply of each saved soil P and freshly utilized N.
- A dairy farm will lose 0.8t/ha of lime a 12 months; a sheep farm loses half that quantity.
- Apply lime within the early spring or autumn, as a result of dry summer time situations will lead to particles sitting on the grass leaf, whereas winter functions danger run-off.
4. Shield your legumes
- The usage of forage legumes akin to white and purple clover can considerably scale back the necessity for the appliance of N, however on intensive techniques they may have little impact till later within the season. It’s because clover wants a soil temperature of 8C at 10cm depth to stimulate development.
- It is very important defend legumes as they supply a chance to chop again on N later within the 12 months.
5. Tailor functions to the system
- On most farms, power calls for are at their highest within the spring as a result of inventory are lactating. Limiting intakes at this level can have a big affect on future potential development charges in calves or lambs. Guarantee good entry to high-quality grass at this stage, no matter whether or not supplementation is supplied.
- Measuring grass ranges and figuring out potential bottlenecks will permit for a deliberate method to N utility. For instance, making use of N early on a beef system the place cows should not turned out till mid-April is a false economic system, as grass can be too far superior and high quality misplaced.
- For an intensive sheep system, earlier utility is crucial. Making use of N in levels throughout the farm avoids sward top or yield in some fields being too excessive by the point they’re grazed.
6. Take into account making use of sulphur
- One other software to assist N effectivity, as soon as pH and P and Ok indices are appropriate, is to use sulphur (S).
- In principle, N inputs will be diminished barely when they’re used along side S.
- S deficiency is extra probably on lighter soils, however responses are seen throughout all soils.
- For grazing, the usual suggestion is 20-30kg SO3/ha as much as 100kg N/ha utilized; if extra N is utilized, the ratio continues to use.
- Remember that uptake of S in drought situations is restricted.
- S can also be current in manure and slurry, so utility charges must be recalculated when utilizing these.
