Slurry use in spring crops

[Massey7718]

Hello everyone
Just wondering does anyone use slurry to supplement some of their compound when sowing spring crops, I have a lot of access to cattle slurry and even some pig slurry. I usually spread 150kg of 13-6-20 to the acre before sowing spring barley. If I spread 2000 gallons of cattle slurry to the acre early spring maybe a month before ploughing, that should be 60 units of of k, I wonder would it move into the soil before ploughing so the nutrients aren’t down too deep ? I know ploughing in slurry saves nitrogen but it’s more for the p and k I want it. Has anyone tried anything like this maybe I could cut back to 100kg to the acre in the process? Or is ploughing directly in the way to go, I feel like the nutrients are down very deep when slurry is ploughed in. What are your opinions

 

[Cowcorn]

Hello everyone
Just wondering does anyone use slurry to supplement some of their compound when sowing spring crops, I have a lot of access to cattle slurry and even some pig slurry. I usually spread 150kg of 13-6-20 to the acre before sowing spring barley. If I spread 2000 gallons of cattle slurry to the acre early spring maybe a month before ploughing, that should be 60 units of of k, I wonder would it move into the soil before ploughing so the nutrients aren’t down too deep ? I know ploughing in slurry saves nitrogen but it’s more for the p and k I want it. Has anyone tried anything like this maybe I could cut back to 100kg to the acre in the process? Or is ploughing directly in the way to go, I feel like the nutrients are down very deep when slurry is ploughed in. What are your opinions

I can only speak from experience when i spread 3000 gallons acre it replaced 2 cwt of 18 6 12. Crop yielded better too . My Maize adviser says that 5000 thousand gallons acre supplies most of the p and k required by the crop . He says to let it dry on top before ploughing as wet slurry makes ground cold . Either way slurry and dung are great fertilsers and help build organic matter and structure . Downside is the time spent spreading !!!

 

[Massey7718]

I can only speak from experience when i spread 3000 gallons acre it replaced 2 cwt of 18 6 12. Crop yielded better too . My Maize adviser says that 5000 thousand gallons acre supplies most of the p and k required by the crop . He says to let it dry on top before ploughing as wet slurry makes ground cold . Either way slurry and dung are great fertilsers and help build organic matter and structure . Downside is the time spent spreading !!!

So in theory it could be used to replace some chemical fertiliser, I just always feared it would be down too deep for roots in a plough based system.

 

[Brisel]

Most spring crops around here are grown on plough based systems. The ploughing would take the wheelings out from the tankers but it would put the nutrients down deep. I'd still top dress the crop to get it going. The roots will find the slurry later on but probably not until well into stem extension. If you're trying to grow malting barley, that presents its own challenges where grain protein is so critical and you want all your N on early.

 

[Flat 10]

So in theory it could be used to replace some chemical fertiliser, I just always feared it would be down too deep for roots in a plough based system.

Roots will easily reach the slurry. I would only worry if indices were very very low and the crop might then struggle to establish

 

[Dog Bowl]

What is the cattle slurry like? Is it some thick, porridge type stuff from intensive cattle yards? Or is it rain water, yard run off and parlour washings? The two are both classed as slurry but both carry very different nutrient contents

 

[Massey7718]

What is the cattle slurry like? Is it some thick, porridge type stuff from intensive cattle yards? Or is it rain water, yard run off and parlour washings? The two are both classed as slurry but both carry very different nutrient contents

Very good quality slurry, cattle slurry is 8% Dm and pig slurry 6% dm and sometimes up to 8% as it’s coming from an AI station rather than a normal piggery where lots of water gets in.

 

[Massey7718]

Roots will easily reach the slurry. I would only worry if indices were very very low and the crop might then struggle to establish

Indices?

 

[Mc115reed]

2000g/acre is barely worth bothering... flood it out with as much as it’ll hold and let it dry and get the crop in be best crop youv ever grown if your not using slurry already

 

[Massey7718]

2000g/acre is barely worth bothering... flood it out with as much as it’ll hold and let it dry and get the crop in be best crop youv ever grown if your not using slurry already

Well at 8% dm it should still have about

2000g/acre is barely worth bothering... flood it out with as much as it’ll hold and let it dry and get the crop in be best crop youv ever grown if your not using slurry already

must try it so, was thinking 2000 gallons maybe 2600 gallons to the acre of cattle slurry now, then 1000 gallons of pig slurry ploughed in around March.

 

[Flat 10]

Indices?

P and K indexes eg 0, 1, 2 etc...

 

[Mc115reed]

Well at 8% dm it should still have about

must try it so, was thinking 2000 gallons maybe 2600 gallons to the acre of cattle slurry now, then 1000 gallons of pig slurry ploughed in around March.

Depends how fast after you spread you want on the ground too... have put 20,000G/acre on for somebody before of really thick stuff and they tried too plough it the next day and could barely move, if you want on the ground fast then you’ll need too go like but I’d say your safe up too 4000G to the acre tbh... I mean if you want too do everything properly you can get your soil tested for what it needs and your slurry tested for what it’s got and apply the exact amount it needs but ain’t many people who even bother soil sampling never mind slurry testing... also remember if you decide too test your test results won’t be accurate until the lagoon is stirred up... 8% dm soon becomes 30%dm once you stirr in that 2FT of crust that was on the top

 

[ollie989898]

It can be done. Beware if you have low phosphate indicies though as lifting them with slurry can take time.

A dose put on before the crop is drilled definitely helps. A more modest go in spring can supply a lot of nitrogen and potash.

Much depends on how healthy the soil is and also the weather in spring. Cold wet soils often have transient phosphate problems.

 

[jack6480]

Sow your crop and spread it on when it’s up, don’t waste your time putting it on before

 

[Massey7718]

Depends how fast after you spread you want on the ground too... have put 20,000G/acre on for somebody before of really thick stuff and they tried too plough it the next day and could barely move, if you want on the ground fast then you’ll need too go like but I’d say your safe up too 4000G to the acre tbh... I mean if you want too do everything properly you can get your soil tested for what it needs and your slurry tested for what it’s got and apply the exact amount it needs but ain’t many people who even bother soil sampling never mind slurry testing... also remember if you decide too test your test results won’t be accurate until the lagoon is stirred up... 8% dm soon becomes 30%dm once you stirr in that 2FT of crust that was on the top

Soil is all tested in fairness, index 3 for P and index 2 for k that’s why cattle slurry should be a good option to increase k

 

[Massey7718]

Sow your crop and spread it on when it’s up, don’t waste your time putting it on before

Feel like I would do more harm than good, only have a 2600 gallon tanker with no dribble bar

 

[jack6480]

Ok yes you would, can you get someone to pump it on with a dribble bar

 

[davidroberts30]

Sow your crop and spread it on when it’s up, don’t waste your time putting it on before

Yes get 3-4k gallons on with the dribble bar and pump

 

[jack6480]

Less is more with slurry

 

[Massey7718]

Ok yes you would, can you get someone to pump it on with a dribble bar

It would defeat the purpose of saving on chemical fert having to get someone in to spread. Especially when compound is well down in price this year. You think it might be a waste of time ploughing in slurry so ?