Fertiliser decisions crucial in current market
With fertiliser availability and use in the spotlight, the team at Origin Soil Nutrition will use LAMMA 2027 to discuss the important role of micronutrients and the alternate ways to apply them that can improve crop response and meet soil requirements. Origin will highlight how the inclusion of micronutrients, alongside macro nutrients, can deliver up to 16 different nutrients to meet deficiencies identified in any soil and crop data. Origin’s Micro-Match demonstrations on stand will show farmers how smaller quantities of micronutrients can be applied alongside macro nutrients to increase landing sites by 50 times compared with granular micronutrients. However, starting with the data is the crucial part, as Toby Ward, Nutrition and Marketing Agronomist at Origin Soil Nutrition, explains. “Valid soil tests, leaf or tissue results from the previous growing season, or post-harvest grain analysis can all be used to inform fertiliser choices. The data can be utilised by one of our team and matched against the requirements for the following crop to ensure these are met and wastage is minimised. The worst kind of fertiliser is the wrong fertiliser as, not only is this the most expensive, but the crop can’t access it and excessive losses can occur.”
Toby continues: “By using these data sets, we can prescribe the right blend of nutrients to account for the deficiencies within the profile. We’ll also be able to identify if certain nutrients are holding others back, such as a sulphur deficiency inhibiting nitrogen uptake. With fertiliser prices still being impacted by geopolitical events, prioritising ordering ahead of the new year should be paramount for those farmers who are yet to secure supplies for the season.”
Livestock farmers visiting the stand can hear more about the NUE-Leg project, which has just finished its second growing season. Although results are still being gathered, some early indications of standard applications of 200kg/ha of nitrogen, compared with prescription fertiliser plots receiving only 40kg/ha of nitrogen, alongside a wide range of micronutrients, have shown how tailored nutrition can improve response from high yielding clovers. “Working with key NUE-Leg partners, we’re understanding how different nutrients affect the crop’s ability to fix atmospheric nitrogen in the sward. Trials are now focussed on glasshouse plots, testing different nutrient combinations and assessing plant response to these, to inform future nutrition choices.”
Origin Soil Nutrition will be on stand 11.210.
Source: industry press release.