PDA News
The PDA publishes both technical News items and shorter Blog items. PDA News provides the latest up to date information on macronutrients and their use, while blog items are shorter and timelier.
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Effective Soil Analysis
In article, we focus on some of the issues surrounding effective soil analysis, against the backdrop of the prolonged wet conditions experienced by many this year. This has led to soils being in their poorest state many have ever known, particularly heavier, higher clay content soils. Careful management will be required to ensure that the problems encountered this year do not carry over into the next. Soil structure is an important consideration when interpreting soil analysis.
September 2024
Nutrient Considerations for SFI Rotational Options
There has been a lot of focus recently on environmental schemes, partly as a response to the now rapidly decreasing Basic Payment (Delinked Payments) and partly in response to the rapidly increasing challenges thrown out by the weather; with some areas of the UK facing their third challenging autumn in five years. Some of the […]
June 2024
Global Food Security Threatened by Potassium Neglect
Inadequate potassium management jeopardises food security and freshwater ecosystem health. Potassium, alongside nitrogen and phosphorus, is a vital nutrient for plant growth and will be fundamental to achieving the rapid rises in crop yield necessary to sustain a growing world population.
April 2024
Importance of Potash for Potatoes
Potash (potassium, K) has a major effect on yield and quality of potatoes as well as the general health and vigour of the crop.
March 2024
Root Implications in Wet Soils
Although there appears to be something of a north south divide this year, most places in the UK have experienced higher than average rainfall, meaning that crops may not be looking as good as planned.
February 2024
Magnesium and Sodium for Grass
Potash use has historically been linked to fears that so-called “luxury” uptake may cause staggers (Hypomagnesaemia) and other mineral disorders in livestock. Although metabolic problems can be costly, so too is sub-optimum use of potash. We review the facts.
December 2023
Establishment and Waterlogging
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
November 2023
Potash Nutrition of Cereals
The latest PDA news highlights the benefits of potash for cereal crops. Cereal crops need at least as much, if not more, potash than any other nutrient. Potash controls cell sap content to maintain the turgor of the plant and supports the movement of all materials within the plant. Potash supply is thus essential for all nutrient uptake by the roots and movement to the leaves for photosynthesis, and for the distribution of sugars and proteins required for plant growth and grain fill.
September 2023
Potash Effect on Straw Strength
With cereal harvests finished, or drawing to a close for another year, consideration should be given to the input decisions made during the year before it is too far in the memory and blurs into all the rest!
August 2023
Impact of Catch and Cover Cropping on Potassium Cycling
Cover and catch cropping form an important cog in the arable regenerative farming wheel, helping to provide soil cover at times when no plants would otherwise be growing, and providing the living roots after harvest to help feed bacteria and fungi that form part of the food web and maintain soils in a healthy state.
July 2023
Harvest Nutrient Sampling
With combinable crop harvest fast approaching (or already underway for some areas) it may be worth considering options for monitoring success or limitations with input decisions and soil management practices to close the feedback loop.
June 2023
Focussing on the Nutrition of Maize
Whether grown for animal silage, AD feedstock or grain, appropriate fertilisation is vital to the success of the maize crop because it greatly influences not only the yield of the crop and its nutritional content but also growing costs.
May 2023