Fertiliser Prices and only spreading once

[HillLuing]

With this hears prices of fertiliser being so expensive is anyone considering only spreading on there grazing ground once and rely on the weather coming good to hold the swards strong into the autumn?

 

[M-J-G]

It depends on the system and need for late season grass.
I usually find grazing more useful later in the season than early on, calves are bigger and have more demand, and grass can be built up without going hard and unpalatable.

 

[Derrick Hughes]

Depens how heavy you are stocked as well

 

[Purli R]

Cant rely on the weather for anything nowadays????

 

[Nithsdale]

We've only ever put 1 application of bagged fert on - grazing or cropping*


*Silage ground gets 1 application per cut

 

[Agrivator]

The alternative is to rely only on Lime and Fibrophos every 5 years on much of the ''lax' grassland, but to use heavy N dressings on a proportion- the ''intensive'' grassland - to produce more winter feed or to produce early grazing until the 'lax' grassland gets going.

And high (sensible) N dressings on silage/haylage ground produces winter feed with a higher crude protein level, and saves on bought-in protein. That is a real effect, summed up very concisely in a recent SAC publication.

 

[Skintagain]

If you can afford grass wise not to put fert on this year you are in a good place.

 

[M-J-G]

The alternative is to rely only on Lime and Fibrophos every 5 years on much of the ''lax' grassland, but to use heavy N dressings on a proportion- the ''intensive'' grassland - to produce more winter feed or to produce early grazing until the 'lax' grassland gets going.

And high (sensible) N dressings on silage/haylage ground produces winter feed with a higher crude protein level, and saves on bought-in protein. That is a real effect, summed up very concisely in a recent SAC publication.

What stage are you cutting at and what's your target silage analysis?

 

[upnortheast]

Depends how much N you are using & how much grass you want
Would think a little bit once a month would grow more grass over the season than one big dollop in the spring

 

[Greythundercloudys]

I can only put in on once a year every year, just try and wrest fields and move stock about. Maybe get some on in August for backend grass, maybe it will be cheaper then.

 

[JD-Kid]

Depends how much N you are using & how much grass you want
Would think a little bit once a month would grow more grass over the season than one big dollop in the spring

what about controlled release urea and apply once. and trickle feeding for 80-100 odd days as it breaks down higher cost but less loss and less passes.

 

[John Chance]

Late N is the best N we put on, maybe not for kg grass per kg N, but grass in Sept and Oct is worth more to us.

 

[harperfarmer]

High clover swards here on the temporary grass leys so don't bother with any N. Permanent pasture doesn't get any N either as in low input scheme for Mid tier, we just feed the silage leys. Cows get anything that goes a bit strong and keep the young grazing cattle on the shorter quality stuff.

 

[Skintagain]

Little and often has to be best then if you have plenty of grass later you can ease off