Fibrophos v Sewage sludge

[ZXR17]

Which is the best for raising phosphate indices ?
I use both but Sewage sludge is becoming a real pain with damage caused to tracks and fields when tipped in wet conditions .
There is also the smell issues when spread and also the not so beneficial ' extras ' that come with it .

 

[Matt77]

Can I ask what fibrophos is costing you round please, I gave up with sewage for pretty much the same reasons and interested in other options, ta

 

[Renaultman]

Have you looked at Kalfos? Particularly useful in high Mg situations. I believe that has gone up a lump this year though

 

[Renaultman]

Have you looked at Kalfos? Particularly useful in high Mg situations. I believe that has gone up a lump this year though

 

[average farmer]

Had some 0.23.3 spread this spring £85 /t + spreading seemed to work well.

gone off sewage sludge a bit , just seems a lot of messing around. Haven’t got any this year for the first time in 14 years .

had a couple of loads of tiger fert but don’t know if it’s still available

 

[DRC]

If every farmer told water companies to stick sewage sludge, it might make government take notice of just how much land is needed to get rid of the stuff.

 

[teslacoils]

P-grow. Tigerfert. This sort of thing. And a bit of dap down the spout where applicable.

 

[David.]

If every farmer told water companies to stick sewage sludge, it might make government take notice of just how much land is needed to get rid of the stuff.

They have a massive waste disposal problem, and farmers are stupid enough to pay for the privilege of sorting it for them.
Same as with poultry processors.

 

[Against_the_grain]

We used to get paid to take it....

 

[Forkdriver]

For a while I was with Anglian Water Authority. There was a farm at Northampton and one at Peterborough which had industrial quantities of sludge in lagoons moved rotationally around the farms. Allowed to dry out then cropped. I dread to think what the heavy metal loading was. Now it's just spread further and thinner. They also caked it for land spreading, but that was too costly. It's not a source of fertilizer that you don't have a downside with no consequences.

 

[David.]

I assumed that sewage farm along by Earls Barton was where the organic veg boxes that get delivered by van came from?
Tbh, when the landfill was operating next to us, when I was a kid, the best tomatoes ever used to grow where they emptied the sewage tanker in emergencies, if local works had a problem. Seed burden in raw shite must have been huge....

 

[NeilT123]

Which is the best for raising phosphate indices ?
I use both but Sewage sludge is becoming a real pain with damage caused to tracks and fields when tipped in wet conditions .
There is also the smell issues when spread and also the not so beneficial ' extras ' that come with it .

Sewage sludge will be the lowest cost per kg of P and will raise P levels faster as you are typically applying something like 400kg/ha total phosphate with each application. Fibrophos & P-Grow would be much lower application rates so a slower build but would not have the issues that you have with sewage sludge.

 

[farmerfred86]

I think Kalphos and possibly phibrophos is high in calcium which is not good news but never spoken about?

 

[Renaultman]

I think Kalphos and possibly phibrophos is high in calcium which is not good news but never spoken about?

It is very good news if you're on high Mg soils.

 

[clemmo]

Why not good news?

 

[Mounty]

I think Kalphos and possibly phibrophos is high in calcium which is not good news but never spoken about?

Why is it not good news. Ideal Ca levels are 70-80% and Ca content is listed in all grades.

 

[Forkdriver]

I assumed that sewage farm along by Earls Barton was where the organic veg boxes that get delivered by van came from?
Tbh, when the landfill was operating next to us, when I was a kid, the best tomatoes ever used to grow where they emptied the sewage tanker in emergencies, if local works had a problem. Seed burden in raw shite must have been huge....

Very good . Actually it was mainly cereals and OSR. It started growing like mad then seemed to run out of steam. Lots of tomatoes but I couldn't fancy them.

 

[farmerfred86]

Why is it not good news. Ideal Ca levels are 70-80% and Ca content is listed in all grades.

Many soils are excessively high in Calcium. Farmers buy a product like Kalfos because they want the phosphate but don't consider the problem of adding more calcium to their soil. I believe the real problem is that high calcium causes lockup of Mg as Renaultman just eluded to. Fine if you understand your soils but many won't/don't.

 

[clemmo]

Many soils are excessively high in Calcium. Farmers buy a product like Kalfos because they want the phosphate but don't consider the problem of adding more calcium to their soil. I believe the real problem is that high calcium causes lockup of Mg as Renaultman just eluded to. Fine if you understand your soils but many won't/don't.

Not around here !
Many soils low ca

 

[Cab-over Pete]

Tigerfert is no longer available.

P-Grow is the best and most concentrated form of phosphate fertiliser. It’s incinerated bone meal rather than incinerated poultry manure like Fibrophos.

There is no smell or pathogen risk at all and it’s quite strictly regulated so you know what you’re getting.

Compared to the steeply rising costs of TSP it’s also very well priced.