Idiots guide to Liquid Fert

[Steevo]

Liquid fert is obviously a more accurate way to apply fert, but on this farm for the first dose we will travel better/sooner with a tractor and spreader on broad tyres than with a sprayer early on in the season.

Second dose the sprayer seems busy enough, 3rd dose there is the risk of scorching, also urea is cheaper form of N. Unless well set up with a liquid mixing plant and mix your own up, so more time and investment.

Not saying it’s right every year but we are going all solid this year.

Pretty much where I stand. But have a mixing plant for protein spray so one day i’m going to test a field of liquid for comparison.

 

[warksfarmer]

Liquid fert is obviously a more accurate way to apply fert, but on this farm for the first dose we will travel better/sooner with a tractor and spreader on broad tyres than with a sprayer early on in the season.

Second dose the sprayer seems busy enough, 3rd dose there is the risk of scorching, also urea is cheaper form of N. Unless well set up with a liquid mixing plant and mix your own up, so more time and investment.

Not saying it’s right every year but we are going all solid this year.

But throwing fertiliser 12-40m isn’t accurate no matter how you look at it. You can have the fanciest spreader in the world but it’s still dropping the prills onto a disc and throwing it. The section control is just a clever disguise and nothing like a sprayer.

In our ever increasing world of red tape I can see granular fertiliser spreaders being finished with.

 

[fudge]

Well that would be a shame. The better value products are granular IMO.

 

[warksfarmer]

Well that would be a shame. The better value products are granular IMO.

Can you imagine if the general public knew farmers were literally throwing inorganic fertilisers (chemicals to them) around?

It’s only a matter of time in my view. Where as a steady hose pipe stream of fertiliser directly applied to the soil/plant in their eyes would be acceptable. That is until we are all forced into organic farming of course but that’s an entirely different discussion.

 

[Steevo]

Can you imagine if the general public knew farmers were literally throwing inorganic fertilisers (chemicals to them) around?

Like those road gritters they see most evenings when commuting home you mean?

 

[Brisel]

Like those road gritters they see most evenings when commuting home you mean?

That's for road safety, not fertiliser. There's a difference.

 

[Steevo]

That's for road safety, not fertiliser. There's a difference.

Maybe so, maybe not.

It's not fertilisier, I agree. But it is still chemicals...which go straight into the watercourse in that instance - 100% of it. Not exactly environmentally friendly. Yes, I agree, road safety.....but it doesn't excuse it entirely.

Taking the argument about "throwing fert around, rather than dribbling it"....the public apparently aren't overwhelmed about chemicals going on fields with sprayers...so it's not like liquid application by nozzle is perfectly accepted.

Oh, and on the granular chemical front....plenty of Joe Public don't bat an eyelid at putting slug pellets on at 10-100x "farmer rate" when their runner bean plants are getting eaten by slugs....or that new lawn they've just planted. But it's "ok" for them as they are just a gardener....?

Personally I'm not sure the "general public" necessarily care (or should that be think?) too much about it as long as chickens are still 2 for £5 in Tesco, and the field in front of their house is still green so they can walk their dog across it to go to the loo. Pressure groups, vegans, and others yes maybe.....but 99% of the population vote with their feet and the supermarket sales show what people really "value".



*Tin hat firmly on*

 

[fudge]

Can you imagine if the general public knew farmers were literally throwing inorganic fertilisers (chemicals to them) around?

It’s only a matter of time in my view. Where as a steady hose pipe stream of fertiliser directly applied to the soil/plant in their eyes would be acceptable. That is until we are all forced into organic farming of course but that’s an entirely different discussion.

I suppose there are question marks over the sustainability of any inorganic fertiliser. They all contribute to diffuse pollution and climate change irrespective of the delivery method.

 

[Henry B]

Liquid Fert is good, but unless you make your own is a expensive way of doing the job, compared with throwing a bit of Urea on before it rains.

 

[bert]

Can you imagine if the general public knew farmers were literally throwing inorganic fertilisers (chemicals to them) around?

It’s only a matter of time in my view. Where as a steady hose pipe stream of fertiliser directly applied to the soil/plant in their eyes would be acceptable. That is until we are all forced into organic farming of course but that’s an entirely different discussion.

The majority of the general public don't even care about fracking up here never mind abit of prilled fert making its way to the hedge back, use sensible like most things in life and it will never become a problem.

 

[warksfarmer]

Like those road gritters they see most evenings when commuting home you mean?

Hardly as they are throwing stuff 3-4m for starters. It’s low level work. It’s grit not fertiliser and it’s for road safety. Nothing to compare with fertiliser.

 

[warksfarmer]

Liquid Fert is good, but unless you make your own is a expensive way of doing the job, compared with throwing a bit of Urea on before it rains.

Depends where you buy it from as we’ve found it a comparable price to Urea when the Urea it’s mixed with SO3, and whilst urea is good as we used it for many years, Liquid is easier to store as you can stick with one blend for the whole year, it’s easier to store in a tank, freeing up space for storage rents for example and there’s no bags to get rid of.

 

[Brisel]

Liquid Fert is good, but unless you make your own is a expensive way of doing the job, compared with throwing a bit of Urea on before it rains.

The liquid vs urea debate is an interesting one. Many liquid users have wider booms than 24m which is where urea spreading accuracy starts to get harder. Buying ready made liquid usually costs the same as quailty UK AN that you'd be spreading at 30m+ anyway.

 

[BFSfertilisers]

Accuracy and precision, down to the last few litres per ha, and right up to the edge of the crop, is desirable and you simply do not get that with solid spreaders, even boom spreaders, as previously mentioned.

But I would say that, would't I ?

 

[warksfarmer]

The liquid vs urea debate is an interesting one. Many liquid users have wider booms than 24m which is where urea spreading accuracy starts to get harder. Buying ready made liquid usually costs the same as quailty UK AN that you'd be spreading at 30m+ anyway.

Granular isn’t accurate at 12m let alone 40m. It’s a very basic and prehistoric operation that I don’t think has a place any longer. Boom spreaders maybe not but discs definitely.

 

[Andrew K]

Granular isn’t accurate at 12m let alone 40m. It’s a very basic and prehistoric operation that I don’t think has a place any longer. Boom spreaders maybe not but discs definitely.

Its staggering to see how much manufacturers want for a belt and braces spreader these days.Seems daft when there,s a perfectly good sprayer sitting in the yard...

 

[dannewhouse]

where do boom spreaders loose their accuracy?
is it the drive wheel slipping? <I would have thought we could use a digital signal and a motor like seed drills now?

not reducing rate when nocking an end section off? like a sprayer would? again a motor driven rotor would cure this?

I think if a manufacturer really wanted they could bring them right up to a proper spec?

is storage really a problem I view bags as they can be shoved anywhere or is it more a case liquid is delivered in as you are spreading whear as solid you try to buy at market bottom?

 

[dannewhouse]

calibration similar to a seed drill? <so accuracy should be similar with or without weigh cells

 

[Clive]

where do boom spreaders loose their accuracy?
is it the drive wheel slipping? <I would have thought we could use a digital signal and a motor like seed drills now?

not reducing rate when nocking an end section off? like a sprayer would? again a motor driven rotor would cure this?

I think if a manufacturer really wanted they could bring them right up to a proper spec?

is storage really a problem I view bags as they can be shoved anywhere or is it more a case liquid is delivered in as you are spreading whear as solid you try to buy at market bottom?

storage is way cheaper for liquid - tanks cost peanuts vs sheds !

Enduromaxx Storage tanks and Bowsers

 

[fudge]

Granular isn’t accurate at 12m let alone 40m. It’s a very basic and prehistoric operation that I don’t think has a place any longer. Boom spreaders maybe not but discs definitely.

Is spreading to 24m accurate enough for cereals?Answer yes. Are liquid application 100% accurate especially at wider boom widths? Answer no. Any boom bounce or yaw effects evenness of spread. I will concede that liquid is better at the edge of the field but one pays a big premium for the material.