N max crappery

FarmyStu

Member
Location
NE Lincs
it depends on yield expectation, soil type, previous crop and markets (milling etc)...............


you need to use Planet really to be sure you are correct
For the specific NMax calc previous cropping doesn't really come into it. So WW for example, your starting point is 220kg/ha. But you can add an additional 20kg/ha for shallow soil types, an additional 20kg/ha for for every tonne the expected yield exceeds the standard yield (8t/ha) and another 40kg/ha for milling wheat varieties.

But as I've said, you are not required to do the NMax calc. Just ensure you don't exceed the limit. Where previous cropping does come in is in the calculation of how much N your fields need. If you apply N of any sort, you must have done this calculation if you're in an NVZ.
 

Brisel

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Midlands
The N max limit applies to the average nitrogen application rate for that crop type across your farm. In other words, you may apply fertilisers at a rate higher than N max to some fields provided that on other fields of the same crop the loading is low enough to ensure the average is at or below the N max limit.
If your field records demonstrate that the nitrogen application rate to each field
growing a particular crop type is lower than the N max limit for that crop type, then
you can be confident that you have complied with the N max limit and do not need
to complete the full calculation

Thank you and @FarmyStu . I was under the impression that NMax had to be calculated.

I remember you being a fan of planet, I hate that too.

I have Gatekeeper which has Planet built in. It's hardly the best thing since sliced bread but with the right information fed in it's not a bad management tool - it will calculate crop offtake etc as well as do your nitrogen plan whch is a legal requirement.

@Niels - do you have NMax? If so what is your legal limit for manufactured nitrogen for a 8 t/ha crop of first wheat on medium soils with high annual rainfall?
 
Well I'll admit to having done a few NVZ inspections. One thing we DO NOT look for is NMax calculations. Just make sure you don't exceed them. I'm FACTS qualified and it surprised me that we don't check this. For a grassland livestock farm just make sure you've done your livestock limit calculation, recorded all your organic and non organic manure fert applications, recorded your 4 step plan and recorded any manure imports or exports. Not exactly simple but if you're thinking about it you're way ahead of half the farmers I've inspected anyway;)
Fairly clear on most of that but what's a 4 step plan?
 

FarmyStu

Member
Location
NE Lincs
Fairly clear on most of that but what's a 4 step plan?
Straight from the leaflet:

YOU MUST plan all applications of nitrogen from organic manures and manufactured fertilisers to each crop in each field. The plan MUST show that you have followed the following four steps:

Step 1 Calculated the amount of nitrogen in the soil that is likely to be available for uptake by the crop during the growing season (the soil nitrogen supply);

Step 2 Calculated the optimum amount of nitrogen that should be applied to the crop, taking into account the soil nitrogen supply (the crop nitrogen requirement);

Step 3 Calculated the amount of nitrogen, from any planned applications of organic manure, that is likely to be available for crop uptake in the growing season in which it is spread (the crop available nitrogen); and

Step 4 Calculated the amount of manufactured fertiliser required.

Most people seem to have recorded what they put on. But the rules require that you work out how much your crop actually needs. Saying "I've always put that on and the crops do ok" will not cut it during an inspection.
 

Haggis

Member
BASE UK Member
Location
Alcester
Straight from the leaflet:

YOU MUST plan all applications of nitrogen from organic manures and manufactured fertilisers to each crop in each field. The plan MUST show that you have followed the following four steps:

Step 1 Calculated the amount of nitrogen in the soil that is likely to be available for uptake by the crop during the growing season (the soil nitrogen supply);

Step 2 Calculated the optimum amount of nitrogen that should be applied to the crop, taking into account the soil nitrogen supply (the crop nitrogen requirement);

Step 3 Calculated the amount of nitrogen, from any planned applications of organic manure, that is likely to be available for crop uptake in the growing season in which it is spread (the crop available nitrogen); and

Step 4 Calculated the amount of manufactured fertiliser required.

Most people seem to have recorded what they put on. But the rules require that you work out how much your crop actually needs. Saying "I've always put that on and the crops do ok" will not cut it during an inspection.

So once I have calculated the amount of N required, if it comes out at less than the Nmax, can I still apply up to the Nmax limit,

i.e. Planet/RB209 tells me my wheat needs 190kg/ha can I still apply 220kg/ha to all my wheat (the Nmax limit)?
 

Niels

Member
@Niels - do you have NMax? If so what is your legal limit for manufactured nitrogen for a 8 t/ha crop of first wheat on medium soils with high annual rainfall?
Yes we do @Brisel. The legal limit is 245 kg of N per ha on clay soil for a 10t/ha crop. We do not have different guidelines for high rainfall areas. On younger sandy clay soils its 160 kg N/ha. With certain (bread making) varieties you get a 20/25 N kg bonus though.
 

FarmyStu

Member
Location
NE Lincs
So once I have calculated the amount of N required, if it comes out at less than the Nmax, can I still apply up to the Nmax limit,

i.e. Planet/RB209 tells me my wheat needs 190kg/ha can I still apply 220kg/ha to all my wheat (the Nmax limit)?
As far as I know there isn't a rule to stop you doing this. But what would be the point? The calculation should be accurate. Putting more on would just waste money would it not?
 

Bullring

Member
Location
Cornwall
Not being in an nvz and not up on paperwork for it, After all these calculations have been done on paper who checks up how much you have actually spread on the crop, they would have to be there everytime you went out with a spreader making sure you didn't put too much on.
 

Serup

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Denmark
What are the limits for wheat ?

Here, on clay soils (it's lower on sandy soils) it's 161 kg for winterwheat, 177 for winter OSR, 120 kg for spring barley.
Some differences depending on previous crop (lower limit if good previous crop). Extra for milling wheat for about 50.000 ha, i believe it's about 40kg. Need contract and previous history of meeting quality parameters to apply.

Hopefully our quota will be raised 16% from this year. New government want's to help us, but opposition really trying to prevent it, as they think we will ruin the environment.
 

Fuzzy

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Bedfordshire
Here, on clay soils (it's lower on sandy soils) it's 161 kg for winterwheat, 177 for winter OSR, 120 kg for spring barley.
Some differences depending on previous crop (lower limit if good previous crop). Extra for milling wheat for about 50.000 ha, i believe it's about 40kg. Need contract and previous history of meeting quality parameters to apply.

Hopefully our quota will be raised 16% from this year. New government want's to help us, but opposition really trying to prevent it, as they think we will ruin the environment.
What would be your typical yield for winter wheat ?
 

Niels

Member
Ok so in the UK for an 8t/ha wheat crop it is 220 plus 20kg for each additional tonne so 10t/ha = 260kg/ha
An additional 40kg/ha is permitted for a Milling Wheat.
You're better off then. But older soil as well generally so needs a bit more. Not that much difference. Is 2x20 kg for 10t/ha the max you can go?
 

Fuzzy

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Bedfordshire
You're better off then. But older soil as well generally so needs a bit more. Not that much difference. Is 2x20 kg for 10t/ha the max you can go?
As far as i know if you have genuine yield expectation of 15t/ha it would be +140kg.
But as you say not much difference and i usually find i am 15-20% below the maximum permitted on Wheat but only 10% below for Barley.
 
It's a doddle , agronomist sits at our kitchen table , go through each field , last years crop , this years crop , has it had fym , has it had sludge , animal numbers on farm , hit the button and voila
He then returns a week later with a neatly bound file which then gets filed into the bottom of the filing cabinet ,,,,,,,, easy peasy
 

Serup

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Denmark
Oh, and our numbers is including FYM and slurry. Calculated exactly from how many cows ect it comes from and on how many hectares. That's why most arable farmers want very good deals to take slurry.
 

Niels

Member
As far as i know if you have genuine yield expectation of 15t/ha it would be +140kg.
But as you say not much difference and i usually find i am 15-20% below the maximum permitted on Wheat but only 10% below for Barley.
I see thank you. We usually put on granular N or liquid N round about now and later come back with slurry to top it up. Usually you only get the results for slurry back much to late and a lot of farmers end up under-fertilising crops as the received slurry can have very mixed NPK levels.
 

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