Starter fertiliser for no-till spring beans...

[Louis Mc]

What are people using if anything? Not convinced of the need but have the liquid system on the drill so afraid I'll be messing out if dont use something???

 

[SilliamWhale]

Whats the soil tests reading?

I suppose you could put some P on if feeling like it. I don't bother myself

 

[Louis Mc]

Whats the soil tests reading?

I suppose you could put some P on if feeling like it. I don't bother myself

Any case for n?? Ignoring the legalities of course

 

[SilliamWhale]

Any case for n?? Ignoring the legalities of course

Not in my experience. Unless from some fym

 

[martian]

It really goes against the grain putting N on pulses, but it takes the seedling some time to get the Rhizobia going and a bit of extra N early on can help them get away from avian pests etc (allegedly, this is obviously illegal so no-one in their right mind would try it). Too much and the Rhizobia won't bother fixing any N. I seem to remember reading that, although crops look better and so massage the farmer's egos, the end yield doesn't show any benefit from starter N.

 

[RTK Farmer]

I thought you could only get liquid P with some N "carrier" eg 8-24-0 so if you are liquid it could be used through necessatation?

 

[Simon Chiles]

What are people using if anything? Not convinced of the need but have the liquid system on the drill so afraid I'll be messing out if dont use something???

You've missed the boat, you should have drilled clover as a starter for your beans, it would be more important to kick the biology in first.

 

[AF Salers]

Drilled spring beans into a stand of clover last year, they came up about 5 days quicker than those into stubble and remained ahead for several weeks, though I don't think there was a yield benefit.

 

[Louis Mc]

You've missed the boat, you should have drilled clover as a starter for your beans, it would be more important to kick the biology in first.

i have vetch mixed in with oats.....will that do??

 

[Clive]

It really goes against the grain putting N on pulses, but it takes the seedling some time to get the Rhizobia going and a bit of extra N early on can help them get away from avian pests etc (allegedly, this is obviously illegal so no-one in their right mind would try it). Too much and the Rhizobia won't bother fixing any N. I seem to remember reading that, although crops look better and so massage the farmer's egos, the end yield doesn't show any benefit from starter N.

If it was aloud I would be using a low level of seedbed N for exactly the reason above

It's not around under regs though

 

[Simon Chiles]

i have vetch mixed in with oats.....will that do??

I hope so. I'm growing winter beans after vetch for that reason. It'll be interesting to compare how they yield to the beans after wheat.

 

[Feldspar]

If it was aloud I would be using a low level of seedbed N for exactly the reason above

It's not around under regs though

I know of someone who has received official approval, I think from the EA, to put autumn N on cereals in zero-till situations. I think there has been some rethinking at higher levels on the issue of N in zero-till situations. Probably unlikely that it'll be allowed on pulses anytime soon though.

 

[Andrew K]

I know of someone who has received official approval, I think from the EA, to put autumn N on cereals in zero-till situations. I think there has been some rethinking at higher levels on the issue of N in zero-till situations. Probably unlikely that it'll be allowed on pulses anytime soon though.

Good thinking on NT cereals, bad spin for pulses IMO as it looks marginal .

 

[ajd132]

Couldn't see any noticeable difference apart from the zero tilled Spring beans yielded 3tha less than the lightly cultivated ones on the same field.

 

[Feldspar]

Couldn't see any noticeable difference apart from the zero tilled Spring beans yielded 3tha less than the lightly cultivated ones on the same field.

Adam H next to us said there was a tonne (and I don't know if he meant an acre or a hectare) difference between their spring beans into Sumoed ground compared to those drilled into ploughed and pressed ground (with the ploughed being better).

 

[ajd132]

Adam H next to us said there was a tonne (and I don't know if he meant an acre or a hectare) difference between their spring beans into Sumoed ground compared to those drilled into ploughed and pressed ground (with the ploughed being better).

Yeh he told me that too. Hopefully as the soil here improves Spring beans will eventually be zero tilled successfully

 

[Brisel]

Read Russell MacKenzie's Nuffield report. A few NZ no tillers are using DAP down the spout as starter fertiliser on peas. No NVZ regs there that make nitrogen applications illegal though.

All my beans are getting is variable rate Fibrophos to top up P & K reserves on the stubble, along with flat rate kieserite for Mg and sulphur at around drilling time.