Agronomy Advice | Low rainfall impacting grass growth in many areas

The continued dry weather is putting huge pressure on grass supply, in those mainly affected in the east and south east of both the UK and Ireland.

Soil moisture deficits are already very low in many places and with this latest increase in temperatures many more areas will start feeling the pinch. In areas where drought is affecting grass growth, there is a need to reduce daily grass demand. This will help to hold grass cover on the farm through supplemental feeding.

Teagasc point out that grass DM is higher during drought periods and grass supply tends to be underestimated. Post grazing residuals should be maintained at 4 to 4.5cm. Higher residuals means scarce grass is being wasted. Average farm covers (AFC) should be kept above 2,000kg/ha (500kg/ha in Irish terms) and try and keep rotation length to 25 days. By going below this it begins to negatively affect overall farm growth rates. It takes grass to grow grass, so maintain a grass wedge to allow for a quick recovery in grass growth once we receive some rain.

As for fertiliser, if there is dirty water available then apply this in the evening time, otherwise if grass growth rates are less than 35kg DM/ha, nitrogen applications should stop. Soil N is released after a drought so don’t over fertilise with nitrogen. After rain arrives and growth rates return to >45kg/ha then apply 15-20kg/ha of N after grazing.

On those farms that grass growth rates are in a healthier position, the focus should switch from a week to week approach to a longer term outlook and start building farm covers over August and September for feeding in October and November, and providing enough time for a proportion of the farm to recover to provide grazing in the early spring. We can start this by extending the rotation length out to 30 days by early September and increasing pre-grazing yields up to 3,700kg DM/ha (2,200kg DM/ha in Irish terms) by mid-September.

P & K review

Reconcile how much P & K has been applied in fertiliser and slurry to date on paddocks and silage fields, so that you can calculate the shortfall if offtakes exceed inputs. Now is a good time to top up those fields or paddocks that haven’t received their full maintenance requirements.

Cereal agronomy advice

Micronutrients: Micro but Mighty

Don’t be fooled by the name - micronutrients are NOT unimportant, we just need less of them than the macronutrients to achieve the best results.

How to Maximise Spring Barley Productivity

With so many farmers struggling to get onto their fields to drill winter wheat due to the wet weather, many are turning to spring barley as an alternative crop.

Managing late drilled wheat crops

Where drilling of winter wheat has been delayed, the crop nutrition strategy should be adapted to help recover the lost yield potential

Do you really need straight nitrogen

Before ordering your straight nitrogen it is worth considering how much you actually need as it may be you actually need NS or NPKS grades instead.

Don't forget about sulphur

Sulphur was often overlooked in the past but today it is recognised as an essential nutrient and considered just as important as nitrogen, so not to be forgotten.

Heavier fertiliser spreads further

Some fertilisers consistently spread further and more accurately than others. A heavier and larger fertiliser granule will spread further because the spreader can put more energy into it.

See all agronomy advice

Read about improving nutrient efficiency

Grow the future | Kickstart early spring grass | Farmer inspecting grass

Kickstart early spring grass with a nitrate based fertiliser

Applying early nitrogen as nitrate will get grass off to the best start, but if you combine this with urea you will get more flexibility without having to worry about the weather.

Grow the future | Grassland sulphur management | Farmer inspecting grass

Managing grassland sulphur delivers impressive results

Managing grassland sulphur doesn’t need to mean big changes. Simply switching fertilisers can deliver impressive results.

Grow the future | Silage fertiliser | Farmer inspecting grass

Avoid compromising your silage with poor nutrition

Don't risk compromising the yield or quality of your silage by cutting corners with your fertiliser programme

Grow the future | Grassland selenium fertilisers | Farmer inspecting grass

Preventing selenium deficiency avoids reduced productivity

Grazing animals have a requirement for selenium so it is important sufficient is present in the grass to meet the animals' needs to prevent selenium deficiency problems.

Grow the future | Forage maize foliar nutrition | Farmers watching maize harvest

Paying more attention to forage maize nutrition pays off

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Grow the future | Nitrogen and sulphur fertiliser| Agronomists in wheat field

Applying nitrogen and sulphur together just makes sense

Combining nitrogen and sulphur together increases nitrogen use efficiency so means more for your money with less wastage.

Grow the future | Compound CCF fertiliser | Agronomists in wheat field

A compound fertiliser is so much better than a blend

When you apply nutrients using a complex compound fertiliser (CCF) you avoid the risk of segregation and uneven distribution that you get when using a blended fertiliser.

Grow the future | Phosphate and potssium | Agronomists in wheat field

When it comes to P and K doing nothing is not an option

When it comes to P and K doing nothing is not an option. Potassium and phosphate are two essential plant nutrients with the plant requiring a consistent supply from the soil during the critical spring growth period.

Grow the future | Spring arable nutrition |

Spring nutrition must keep crop momentum moving

When winter cereals begin spring growth keeping that momentum going should be the main focus of the spring nutrition strategy

Grow the future | Cereal micronutrients | Agronomists in wheat field

Cereal micronutrients can prevent yield losses

If you supply your cereal crops with exactly the right micronutrients where and when they are needed this will prevent yield losses or quality reduction due to deficiencies.

Better nutrition improves potato yield and quality

Making sure your potatoes are fully supplied with all the nutrients they require is the best way to improve crop yield and tuber quality

Grow the future | Soil testing and tissue analysis

Soil and leaf testing avoids wasting money on fertilisers

The best way to avoid wasting money on fertiliser is through soil testing and tissue analysis and then understanding what the results mean.

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