Tillage: One cereal grower opts for P and Ok vacation in 2023

Co. Down cereal grower Allan Chambers won’t be making use of bagged phosphate (P) and potash (Ok) to his winter cereal crops in 2023.

“It’s the associated fee for one factor,” he instructed Agriland. “P and Ok stay extraordinarily costly. However the choice taken can be justified from an agronomy perspective.

“Our soils have remained constantly at an Index 3 stage for each P and Ok over a few years,” he mentioned.

Allan attributes this state of affairs to the truth that all of the fields on his farm obtain 15t/ha of poultry litter on a three-year rotational foundation.

“We’ve got prepared entry to the litter,” he defined.

“It’s the sole supply of fertiliser that we use on forage maize. That is the one spring crop grown on the farm.”

Cereal rising

Allan planted out 36ha of a six-row hybrid winter barley on the finish of final September. An additional 60ha of winter wheat adopted throughout October.

“All of the crops are trying tremendously nicely this present day,” he defined.

Like most elements of the nation, Co. Down was hit with heavy rain final autumn. Nevertheless, Allan is completely satisfied to substantiate that plant numbers are the place they need to be throughout 98% of his barley.

That is in complete distinction to the scenario in different elements of the nation, the place a major variety of barley crops have been badly affected by heavy rain and mendacity water.

Allan didn’t apply an insecticide to the barley over the last back-end as a result of the Agri-Meals and Biosciences Institute (AFBI) monitoring system had not flagged-up a Barley Yellow Dwarf Virus (BYDV) risk on the time.

His barley acquired its first cut up of nitrogen (N) 10 days in the past. It was utilized at a price of 50kg/ha.

“We opted for urea,” Allan defined.

“The second and third cut up dressings will comply with on the finish of March and the center of April. At that stage we are going to change to CAN.”

Allan’s wheat will obtain its first utility of nitrogen in a fortnight’s time.

The Chambers’ farm is situated near the village of Seaforde. The soil varieties and prevailing climate situations make his land very suited to the rising of crops.

The close by Mourne Mountains and the accompanying wind patterns mix to make east Down one among Northern Eire’s driest areas.

“The plan now’s to get on with the required discipline work in a well timed vogue, climate and floor situations allowing,” he concluded.