Fertiliser Price Tracker

CORK

Member
For wheat the economic optimum drops to 160 kgN/ha at current levels vs grain price (180 kg tops) Those who bought early total N dose will not alter compared to normal with Nov 22 wheat price.

However I have always banged the drum of improving nitrogen use efficiency. If ever there was a time to start looking it is now. Ensuring nothing is limiting nitrogen uptake (weather, compaction, soil pH, other nutrients, etc, etc) Also having seen it in trials a little and often approach could be very worthwhile. Yes it costs money to drive over the crop however if reducing N got to eek out every little bit of performance. I would be looking at a good dose early to build the biomass (60-80 kg) then maybe 3 splits applied more frequently than one dollop. Unfortunately when start to reduce total dose most see it as an opportunity to cut out a pass, this is wrong IMO.

If not bought or buying a current levels I’ve been saying all the above to those who are ringing for advice, and also to review cropping, eg 2nd wheat is a no go IMO, spring barley much better option, I’ve done the costings as always borderline if on BG land due to chemical costs. Just a PITA at harvest having acres of it.
Very interesting post.

Ive often thought about using multiple smaller doses on winter wheat to get more N into the crop to build yield.
Ive done it on damaged crops and in each case I felt (no scientific comparison) that they yielded better than I expected.
Had second crop wheat last year with a little slug damage through it. I split the N across 5 splits. Granted it got a lot of N but it yielded 11.6tn/Ha (adj to 15%).

Little & often should be better for the environment too one would think?
 

Hindsight

Member
Location
Lincolnshire
For wheat the economic optimum drops to 160 kgN/ha at current levels vs grain price (180 kg tops) Those who bought early total N dose will not alter compared to normal with Nov 22 wheat price.

However I have always banged the drum of improving nitrogen use efficiency. If ever there was a time to start looking it is now. Ensuring nothing is limiting nitrogen uptake (weather, compaction, soil pH, other nutrients, etc, etc) Also having seen it in trials a little and often approach could be very worthwhile. Yes it costs money to drive over the crop however if reducing N got to eek out every little bit of performance. I would be looking at a good dose early to build the biomass (60-80 kg) then maybe 3 splits applied more frequently than one dollop. Unfortunately when start to reduce total dose most see it as an opportunity to cut out a pass, this is wrong IMO.

If not bought or buying a current levels I’ve been saying all the above to those who are ringing for advice, and also to review cropping, eg 2nd wheat is a no go IMO, spring barley much better option, I’ve done the costings as always borderline if on BG land due to chemical costs. Just a PITA at harvest having acres of it.

But C&C if that little and often approach leads to applications delayed into early/mid May which coincides with a prolonged dry period the performance of that (those) nitrogen application(s) will be impaired. Seen that effect also in trial data. And as the total amount of nitrogen is being reduced from the usual amount due to the high price of N and as such the total application is on the (very) steep side of the response curve, and not towards the flatter top of the curve, the little and often approach with such timings would result in a poorer response to the scarce resource (N) being applied to the crop.
 

Jo28

Member
Location
East Yorks
Very interesting post.

Ive often thought about using multiple smaller doses on winter wheat to get more N into the crop to build yield.
Ive done it on damaged crops and in each case I felt (no scientific comparison) that they yielded better than I expected.
Had second crop wheat last year with a little slug damage through it. I split the N across 5 splits. Granted it got a lot of N but it yielded 11.6tn/Ha (adj to 15%).

Little & often should be better for the environment too one would think?
I'm not so sure, last year we had one field that was too wet to travel early and so had all of its nitrogen sulphur and tsp within 4 weeks between 16th march and 15th April. Was a bit concerned at the time. Had another block that had 5 separate splits starting earlier and finishing later. Same variety and soil type drilled within 7 days of each other. Both made just over 4t. I think on heavier land it doesn't make that much difference as it doesn't leach much at all.
 

cricketandcrops

Member
BASIS
Location
Lincolnshire
I am a fan of a big dose early, especially on heavy land where drilling is delayed. This has shown to be very beneficial in getting the crop moving and building biomass. Also when we have a dry early spring (more regularly now) front loading helps. From then on we should get smarter. Maybe this price of N will drive that? The use of N-Testers, leaf analysis, foliar N, timings & rates of N, etc, etc
 

daveydiesel1

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Co antrim
On grass iv started doin split application as a professor advised me that theres alot better uptake of nitrogen and iv noticed the difference as in 100kg acre done in 2 50kg doses will do nearly as much good as 150kg in single dose
 

Oilseed

Member
Location
North Cambs
I am a fan of a big dose early, especially on heavy land where drilling is delayed. This has shown to be very beneficial in getting the crop moving and building biomass. Also when we have a dry early spring (more regularly now) front loading helps. From then on we should get smarter. Maybe this price of N will drive that? The use of N-Testers, leaf analysis, foliar N, timings & rates of N, etc, etc
What date to you call early?
 

whiteford

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Highlands
Quoted £557 for extran (33.5%n) and £632 for amidas (40.0.0 +14so3) delivered to the highlands yesterday.

Commited to one load of amidas and thought how pleasing it was that everyone in the supply chain was having a good year, as we all are......😣

Extremely thankfully to have 22t of doubletop carried over from this year, and that's only due to my unwillingness to pay a premium for split loads!

Hopefully the price has got slightly more sensible by the new year and I can buy the rest of my needs, but at least I'm covered for the first applications.
 

Renaultman

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Darlington
Very interesting post.

Ive often thought about using multiple smaller doses on winter wheat to get more N into the crop to build yield.
Ive done it on damaged crops and in each case I felt (no scientific comparison) that they yielded better than I expected.
Had second crop wheat last year with a little slug damage through it. I split the N across 5 splits. Granted it got a lot of N but it yielded 11.6tn/Ha (adj to 15%).

Little & often should be better for the environment too one would think?
Totally agree, and think going forward we need to be looking at similar strategies for manures both liquid and solid. Then we need to explain/prove to the EA that the plants are taking up the majority of those inputs. Let's face it, with the price of N it's very much in our interest.
 

Grass And Grain

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Yorks
If CF are getting subsidised to produce CO2, then presumably they're also producing fert which will come into the marketplace.

@teslacoils might be able to afford that 3rd cut N application.

On the subject of how to apply, I always think front load big doses (on our land). Too many occasions of a dry May when crop couldn't have accessed the N. So depends on location, soil type and unknown weather. Losing a bit of utilisation % from 2 big early doses better than losing most of the availability of small late doses (due to no rain). Great theory of mine until a season of fantastic growing conditions and a flat crop!
 

teslacoils

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Lincolnshire
Will require end user to want to pay for grass. Doing the figures I only really look at third cut with a casual glance.

I'm not in control of when the digestate turns up, so can't pass up the chance to get some urea on early.
 

B'o'B

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Rutland
I’ve added Limus Clear to my shopping list to make the most of the N I’ve brought, as I’ve been involved in ADAS run trials which have shown a benefit from adding it to UAN to increase nitrogen usage efficiency. I do have some reservations about what it might potentially do to my soil life. But if ever there was a year in my farming career to make what you have go as far as possible this is it!
 

SFI - What % were you taking out of production?

  • 0 %

    Votes: 79 42.0%
  • Up to 25%

    Votes: 66 35.1%
  • 25-50%

    Votes: 30 16.0%
  • 50-75%

    Votes: 3 1.6%
  • 75-100%

    Votes: 3 1.6%
  • 100% I’ve had enough of farming!

    Votes: 7 3.7%

Red Tractor drops launch of green farming scheme amid anger from farmers

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As reported in Independent


quote: “Red Tractor has confirmed it is dropping plans to launch its green farming assurance standard in April“

read the TFF thread here: https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/gfc-was-to-go-ahead-now-not-going-ahead.405234/
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