nitrogen application

Brisel

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Midlands
The bulk densities and granule sizes are different. You'll have to spread them separately unless you can blend them properly and have a pneumatic spreader.
 

Chae1

Member
Location
Aberdeenshire
That's interesting, I've been debating to go with AN or urea ?
I like the AN for quick availability but urea is less likely to leach and in my opinion matches the crop needs better. My thinking is if it's cold the plant won't need it and the urea won't get converted but as the soil warms the plant grows and the rate of conversion of the urea increases.

I've only got a small area osr which imo needs its N first.so I did wonder about going over it twice with 1/2 cwt of AN and 1/2 cwt urea. I'm not sure how it would spread if I could mix it.

Its called super start, only available in Ireland. 40% can 60% urea.

Id use it here for first application.
 

Jez Agronomist

Member
BASIS
Location
Kirriemuir
This season Super Start is only available in Ireland.

It is made from a blend of calcium nitrate and urea but is not straightforward to produce. Last season as a trial some was also available the UK, ex Avonmouth but it gave the production guys lots of headaches, not sure why but something to do with the bagging plant or facilities that wasn’t easy to fix. So not available this season.
 

Brisel

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Midlands
@Fromebridge Roughly how long does it take for urea fertiliser to become available to the crop at this time of year please? I'm reading lots of posters who think it's weeks but I think it's quicker than that even when soil temperatures are under 5 degrees.
 

Gong Farmer

Member
BASIS
Location
S E Glos
I think it's more like 'days', but could be up to a week if really cold. In warm soils (when it really shouldn't be applied) it can happen in hours.

Edit: assumes it's 'in ' the soil, of course, and not lying on dust above.
 
Last edited:

Jez Agronomist

Member
BASIS
Location
Kirriemuir
Conversion from urea to nitrate is a two step process, first from urea to ammonium and then from ammonium to nitrate. Both are temperature dependent Currently soils are still at 2°C, half of where it would normally be. At this temperature the first transformation of urea to ammonium will take around 4 days, whist the second transformation from ammonium to nitrate could be over 6 weeks.
 

Jez Agronomist

Member
BASIS
Location
Kirriemuir
Plants can use both Nitrate and Ammonium but prefer to take up and use Nitrate. Nitrate can be used straight away but the plant has to first convert Ammonium into Nitrate to use it. This can take some time and has a slight cost to the plant. There is also a slight cost to the plant to take up Ammonium as this has to be done actively whereas Nitrate is taken up passively in the transpiration stream
 

robbie

Member
BASIS
Done my rape today and then started on the winter barley.
I was very surprised to see green buds visible in the centre of the plants it seems very early.
20190213_155732.jpg
 

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As reported in Independent


quote: “Red Tractor has confirmed it is dropping plans to launch its green farming assurance standard in April“

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