Digestate

[BFL4437]

Possibly have chance of putting some digestate on some much poorer land we have. Heard from lots of people that's it's rocket fuel and then some horror stories. My main question is what will/might it do to poorer land?
The land is mostly permanent pastures with 20ac of meadows that have been grass for well over 20 years. One had forage rape in last year and will be getting wholecrop silage in this month and the other getting forage rape later this year.
As much help as you've got will be appreciated

 

[cowboysupper]

Great fertiliser but if haven't already done so, get some soil samples collected and also the lab report for digestate nutrient. There is a huge amount of nutrient in digestate and you can have too much of a good thing. Also find out what's being fed to the digester and whether it produces pasteurised digestate. If its a farm scale/ digester farm based inputs, it's probabably safe enough but some of the digestate coming from waste plants can be a different story.

 

[Chae1]

Make sure it's pas110 accredited.

 

[will_mck]

Have yet to see digestate slurry spread on grassland that doesn't result in the field being infested with Dockens within 2 or 3 years

 

[Chae1]

Have yet to see digestate slurry spread on grassland that doesn't result in the field being infested with Dockens within 2 or 3 years

Haven't seen any increase in dockens on fields we've applied it too for several years.

 

[Still Farming]

Stinks the place out.
Get ready for irrate locals????

 

[Chae1]

Stinks the place out.
Get ready for irrate locals????

Never had an issue with odour.

Spread it round our house. Even my wife didn't complain. She moans about everything.

 

[Still Farming]

Never had an issue with odour.

Spread it round our house. Even my wife didn't complain. She moans about everything.

Must to rank stuff here then.

 

[Chae1]

Must to rank stuff here then.

Seems to vary by load. Guess it depends level tanks at.

Have had some real smelly stuff. But most not been that bad. Guessing the stinky stuff is more powerful.

 

[holywell farmer]

Seems to vary by load. Guess it depends level tanks at.

Have had some real smelly stuff. But most not been that bad. Guessing the stinky stuff is more powerful.

Does it have to be injector applicator or dribble bar for spreading?

 

[Agriimark]

Does it have to be injector applicator or dribble bar for spreading?

both

 

[Hilly]

Have yet to see digestate slurry spread on grassland that doesn't result in the field being infested with Dockens within 2 or 3 years

Come here then .

 

[Agriimark]

Dock spray is cheaper compared to the value of the P and K in the digestate.
as for it making docks grow. . none of the fields i spread have an issue, nice clean fields and its rocket fuel for the grass.

 

[Chae1]

I would think the heat created in digester would destroy germination in any seeds.

@sjt01 will know best.

 

[Northeastfarmer]

I’ve known a few farmers lose calves after it’s been applied so I’d be cautious

 

[Cowlife]

Get an analysis from them. If they won't provide one forget about it. We use a bit. It's got good amounts of N and K with no P. A few loads mixed into the slurry tank and onto silage ground works well. I wouldn't use it straight as there's no P for cutting ground . I wouldn't use it on grazing as its too high in K and would lock up magnesium etc.
And don't overdose it.

 

[sjt01]

I would think the heat created in digester would destroy germination in any seeds.

@sjt01 will know best.

I could not find the report on the WRAP website, but this is the important bit, noting that most digesters work around the 37.5°C region and will keep material for 40-50 days.

from
Impacts of pasteurisation and mesophilic AD on some common crop pests and diseases in the UK
Project code: OMK002-007 Date: March 2015

 

[Just because]

They are currently spreading at moment wants good shower of rain Ideally or moving with chain harrows seems to last well through out the year. Top picture was a few years ago on a 100year grass Lely you can tell where they ran out of product

 

[Yale]

Possibly have chance of putting some digestate on some much poorer land we have. Heard from lots of people that's it's rocket fuel and then some horror stories. My main question is what will/might it do to poorer land?
The land is mostly permanent pastures with 20ac of meadows that have been grass for well over 20 years. One had forage rape in last year and will be getting wholecrop silage in this month and the other getting forage rape later this year.
As much help as you've got will be appreciated

AD plant digestate or sewage sludge digestate?

I‘ve said it before but it all depends how you feel spreading micro plastics on your land. This will depend on the quality of product you are being offered. There are reasons it is cheap or free.

 

[BFL4437]

AD plant digestate or sewage sludge digestate?

I‘ve said it before but it all depends how you feel spreading micro plastics on your land. This will depend on the quality of product you are being offered. There are reasons it is cheap or free.

AD plant stuff. What goes in it I couldn't tell you without ringing up and finding out but I think I might now looking at all these comments.