- After a wet autumn and winter, followed by higher-than-average rainfall in spring, arable farmers have struggled to get crops planted and drilled on time
- Now is the time for farmers to start planning for the 24-25 cropping year
- Farmers can gain considerable efficiency and yield benefits by switching to liquid fertiliser
After a particularly wet autumn and winter, followed by more of the same in the spring, arable farmers have struggled to get crops planted and drilled on time, if at all. Phil Burrell, Yara’s Head of Crop Nutrition Services, discusses why now is the perfect time to start planning for the 24-25 cropping year and the benefits of switching from solid to liquid fertiliser.
“Large parts of the arable area haven’t been planted with winter cereals, the OSR crop has continued to present its challenges, and there are still farmers out there who haven’t got any spring barley drilled. It’s been very challenging and it’s inevitably going to lead to fertiliser carryover as we go into the 24-25 cropping year. For farmers who are thinking about fertiliser strategies and considering moving from solid fertiliser to liquid, now is the time to start planning,” says Phil.
The main difference between liquid and solid fertilisers is that liquids come in solution form as opposed to the granules or prills you get with solids. They are available in a range of different formulas including nitrogen, nitrogen-sulphur mixtures, and NPKS mixtures and like solid fertilisers, they are applied to the soil. Beyond these basics, farmers have things to consider if they are thinking about making the switch to liquid.
Firstly, liquid fertilisers are applied with a crop sprayer, so farmers need to consider their sprayer capacity, so they don’t put it under too much pressure. Secondly, liquid fertilisers, like any fertiliser, can be corrosive, so good sprayer hygiene is essential. Another possible issue is the concentration when it comes to compound NPKS fertilisers. Nutrients like potassium are completely water soluble so it is not possible to get the same concentration levels in a liquid as you would in a straight solid fertiliser, e.g. Muriate of Potash.
While there are limitations to using liquids in some farming systems, for farmers who use them, they bring improved operational efficiency. “There are so many operational positives of switching to liquid fertilisers. Because liquids are stored in a tank, you won’t have any shed space taken up with storing fertiliser bags and you won’t need to take bags off the lorry, put them in the shed, then bring them back out of the shed and put them in a trailer to take down to the field. Plus, you’ll have no bags to dispose of at the end of it. There are several efficiency savings here,” explains Phil.
Liquid fertiliser use can also encourage farmers to upgrade their sprayer and go to a wider tramline to improve output as well as reducing labour costs. If farmers strategically locate their liquid fertiliser tanks, application can be a one-person job.
To get these efficiency benefits, there is some preparation required.
Before the tank arrives, a reinforced concrete base must be put down for it to sit on. The tank should be bunded for best practice, and safe access such as erecting ladders over the bund for delivery staff as well as farm workers needs to be considered. The location of the tank must also be risk assessed, and this is something that Yara can assist with.
“Prior to a farmer switching to liquid fertiliser, one of our farm business managers would visit the farm, do a site survey, and make sure it’s away from watercourses, aquifers, pylons, electric poles, and traffic. The last thing you want is a tank in the middle of a busy farmyard. It’s a recipe for an accident,” says Phil.
Another change which needs to be made is changing the nozzle on your crop sprayer. While a conventional crop protection nozzle sprays a fine mist to target the leaf of the weed or plant, with liquid fertilisers, by using a dribble bar or a specific fertiliser nozzle you get a stream of liquid hitting the soil. “Our team has a lot of knowledge on application, and we can advise on the best type of fertiliser nozzle to go on your sprayer, whether that be a dribble bar or a singular nozzle with multiple outlets to make sure you’re putting the liquid where it’s needed,” adds Phil.
One thing liquid fertiliser gives farmers is more flexibility with timings. As the product can be applied in the rain unlike solid fertiliser, you can get on with your applications even when the weather is changeable. Yara recommends applying liquids early where possible, as this minimises scorch risk later in the crop’s life.
Using liquid fertiliser minimises the impact on the environment thanks to the improved accuracy that’s possible. “When we think of the outsides of a field, we don’t want to be putting fertiliser where it’s not needed, particularly into the environment. Whether that’s in hedge bottoms, on the road, or worst case, anywhere near a water course, with liquid fertiliser, you can avoid that because it literally applies to the edge of the boom in a straight line and you get that accuracy around the field boundary,” explains Phil.
As well as environmental benefits, there are also yield benefits, particularly for farmers with odd-shaped fields and lots of headlands. “When you’re sitting on a combine applying solid fertiliser, you’ll know that the outside of the crop tails off because you have to reduce how far it throws it to protect the environment. You always get a tail off at the outside of the field. You don’t get that with liquids. Anybody who’s got a lot of odd-shaped fields and lots of headlands, that’s where the yield advantage comes from. From the outside bit of the field, you can improve the accuracy and get that even application across the whole boom,” says Phil.
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