Time to plan for field actions

Michael Hennessy, Head of Crops KT, tells us that despite the persistently poor weather in recent days and the now waterlogged soils, winter crops are holding up well, with most fields maintaining a relatively green hue.

While little field work can be completed in the coming weeks, this is an ideal time to plan for field actions once conditions improve and growth resumes. In this column a few weeks ago, I emphasised the importance of nutrient management planning for all tillage farms, not just to ensure sufficient nutrients for high yields but also to maximise nutrient uptake and the return on investment.

After attending several tillage events across the country and speaking with merchant representatives, a recurring issue has emerged: too many tillage farmers purchase fertiliser without a clear plan. Often, their approach is to simply buy what they used last year. However, this won’t cut it if nitrogen or phosphate applications exceed Department of Agriculture allowances.

Take, for example, John, who farms 60 hectares of tillage land. Before implementing a nutrient management plan, John applied 490 kg/ha (4 bags/acre) of 16-4-20 and topped up N with CAN. However, soil test results revealed that much of his land had low pH, low phosphate (P) and potassium (K) levels, with only 25% of the farm in good fertility status. Under his blanket approach of applying the 16-4-20 compound, 75% of his land was under-fertilised for phosphorus (P), and 92% was under-fertilised for potassium.

After soil testing, John applied 60 tonnes of lime to correct pH deficiencies and switched to 10-10-20, varying rates from 250 to 450 kg/ha (depending on the P and K status on the field) and topped up the N with CAN and K with murate of potash. The cost savings from avoiding over- and under-application, combined with an estimated yield increase of 0.5 t/ha, resulted in an annual benefit of approximately €3,300 for his farm.

On the flip side, if John had continued his blanket application of 16-4-20 without soil testing, the Department of Agriculture would have deemed him to have no phosphorus allowance. With all fertiliser purchases now closely monitored by the DAFM, this could have led to cross-compliance breaches and a potential penalty of 5-10% on his payments.

Why take the risk of financial penalties and reduced yields by skipping soil sampling and nutrient planning? Contact your local advisor today to arrange a nutrient management plan. If you already have soil analysis results, the process should take no more than a couple of hours.