Establishment is the most critical period in any annual crops life-cycle, as it is the time when the yield potential is set. All challenges the crop faces during the season serves to reduce the final yield from this potential. Therefore, conversely, any management decisions taken from this point onwards only helps limit the reduction in this yield potential.

When looking at P&K balances in detail over the last five years, including fields where no applications were made, the overall balances are dramatically negative. Maintaining soils at the target index is the safest way to ensure these crops are able to access the required quantities at the appropriate times to optimise growth, yield and therefore financial returns.

Nutrient, particularly nitrogen, use efficiency (NUE), is a particular talking-point currently within the industry as government considers ways to help reduce the impact of agriculture on greenhouse gas emissions. The Campaign for the Farmed Environment states the aim as more efficient nutrient management to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, through better fertiliser application and management of […]

The premise for ensuring crops and grass have access to sufficient quantities of phosphorus and potassium to meet their uptake requirements over the course of a season is to assess the soil reserves. This is carried out in practice by taking a soil sample, either to 15cm depth in arable soils, or 7.5cm depth in […]

Barley yellow dwarf virus is the most economically important virus in UK cereals, with severe infections causing losses of up to 60% in winter wheat and 50% in winter barley. Although this is rare, significant economic damage can occur from small populations of aphids carrying the virus. The effects of BYDV can also be exacerbated […]

Many farmers are not getting the best from their grassland because of a lack of potash. Any green material removed from fields also removes large quantities of potash which will need replacing to ensure grass productivity is maintained.

When considering the appropriate soil K Index for a crop or rotation it is important to take into account that different crops have root systems with different total lengths, depths and efficiencies. Generally speaking, the longer an annual crop is growing, the longer the root system, which means that winter combinable crops and grass etc, should have […]

The latest Professional Agricultural Analysis Group (PAAG) UK soil analysis data suggest that 33% of fields (including both arable and grassland) are below index 2- for potassium. These soils will require an application of K to replace what has been removed by the crop during the season and an additional amount to build up the […]

Last harvest there were quite a lot of last-minute decisions to bale as a result of anticipated straw shortages and higher prices. Baling and removing straw, where there is no specific requirement for other enterprises on the farm, can often be a sensible agronomic and economic decision. These include high level of residue on the […]

Patrick J. Forrestal1, Mark Plunkett1, Cathal Redmond1 and Martin Bourke21Soils, Land Use and Environment Dept. Teagasc, Johnstown Castle, Co. Wexford.2Teagasc Advisory Service, Tinnahealy, Co. Wicklow Introduction Crops including spring barley require high levels of potassium (K) to support yield, often at similar levels to nitrogen (N). Potassium has traditionally received much less focus compared with […]

I have recently seen two statements that imply that using water-soluble phosphate fertilisers increases the risk of loss of phosphate to surface water, with its adverse environmental implications, and that the majority of the phosphate applied to soil becomes fixed in the soil and is unavailable to plants. Neither statement is true..

It has been well known for decades that grass can take up and, if cut for silage or hay remove from the field, very large amounts of potash. Typical potash removal values shown in the Nutrient Management Guide (RB209) are equivalent to around 2% K in dry-matter, sometimes higher in fresh grass and lower in […]