Achieving the right balance of nutrients in the soil improves the quality and yield of crops. It also helps reduce diffuse pollution and nutrient losses through runoff or leaching into watercourses or groundwater.
The key to success is regular soil analysis (every three to four years) and a nutrient management plan, enabling you to make the most of all inputs while keeping costs under tight control.
An integrated approach
One who swears by this approach is Philip Chamberlain, who farms 1,200 hectares of arable land in Oxfordshire and is featured in Best Farming Practices.
Philip assesses soil and crop variations within his fields and adjusts his use of fertilisers and pesticides accordingly. He takes account of residual nutrients, historic yields and the findings of soil sampling when planning his cultivations and deciding his fertiliser applications.
Careful nutrient management planning enables him to use manure, compost, crop rotation and precision-farming techniques as part of an integrated approach that has significantly reduced spending on fertiliser, pesticides, fuel and seeds.
Applying organic matter in the form of sewage sludge, pig manure and compost has helped to make cultivation easier on heavy land and to improve moisture retention. It’s also been very cost effective – it would cost £60,000 each year if Philip had to pay for the equivalent in fertiliser.
A practical outline
Best Farming Practices gives a practical outline of how to handle, store and apply manufactured fertilisers, farmyard manure and slurry with a view to avoiding environmental pollution and achieving optimum crop nutrition.
For example, all spreaders should be maintained and calibrated regularly so that applications are accurate and even. Keeping rainwater out of slurry can maintain a good concentration of nutrients and reduce spreading costs.
Saving £10,000 a year
Alistair Vanstone, a Devon dairy farmer featured in Best Farming Practices, has put a guttered roof over his entire cow wintering area to protect his stock from driving winter rain and keep clean and dirty water separate. Roof water is diverted away from his slurry store, which saves spreading the equivalent of one full slurry pit each year. This cuts costs by approximately £10,000.
It’s best to avoid spreading farmyard manure when it is fresh, as this may lead to losses and pose a risk of water pollution. Decomposition of stored manures makes them easier to spread and makes subsequent cultivations easier too.
Composting is worth investigating because it can reduce viable weed seeds, pathogens and odour. It also helps organic matter to mix into grass swards.
