What are your thoughts on the fertiliser price s for 2022

john mayo 10

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Anyone know much about this stuff

straight

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118434004#Comment_118434004

Do those flowmeters ever work? My contractor had one on the pipe but I don't know was it ever right. Alot of dumping definitely goes on. I can really see it with the dribble bar now travelling at 7.5 km/h for 2500 gallons per acre. You don't be long running out of ground.

Mooooo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118435103#Comment_118435103

We'll find out, hasn't used it here yet. Be easy enough to tell i spose. Lads are trying to make more use of slurry pre these fert hikes as well.

Majority of mine goes for silage ground but have less dedicated silage ground now since going all spring

Rusheseverywhere

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118432913#Comment_118432913

Depending on weather first week of March, Digger and side spreader job. I lightly harrow any heavy stuff, lumps so all rots in. Cut 3 months later, roughly Mid June. FYM is ok but volume needed v bag is the issue plus all the faff spreading it.

Mooooo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118435257#Comment_118435257

What's in the sward?

Rusheseverywhere

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118435302#Comment_118435302

Everything but grass it seems. Alot of Fescue type grass, Timothy, some Rye and a hell of alot of Buttercups and Narrow Leaf Plantain. Some clover too and luckily few docks.

mahoney_j

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118435341#Comment_118435341

Docks …..has a sward ever been complete without them 😜😜

straight

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118435456#Comment_118435456

A sign of rich ground. My low lying ground has no docks.

Tonynewholland

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118435257#Comment_118435257

Is the FYM very fresh or is it from the previous winter. It takes from the ground if it hasn't broken down enough. I agree about volume. Unless you've a lot of animals on straw you won't have much of a heap each year

cjpm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118435257#Comment_118435257

Why don’t you just spread in October on bare ground ? Would have serious grass in the spring and no need with harrowing.

amacca

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118435896#Comment_118435896

Often wondered about that but never bothered to do the research but it never felt like it was the whole story

Ie: Does that mean as it's coming out of the animals rear end as fresh as could be and landing on the field its taking from the ground?......I know there's an ideal time to spread it and get max benefit but does the freshness really matter that much as it's going to rot and break down anyway + return nutrients to the soil and that's the way most of it gets introduced to the soil when you are grazing a field anyway.....

Tonynewholland

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118436486#Comment_118436486

It's time for the straw to break down.

amacca

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118436530#Comment_118436530

Ah so if it's mostly shite that's all right ?😅

So as the straw breaks down it takes what from the land?

Not contradicting btw, just wondering how much of drawback it is, we used to spread some straight out of a bedded shed in Sept October, wouldn't be in a dungstead.....some fields then used for silage approx 6/7 months later....it might have been in the shed since the previous March/April, sitting there all summer.

straight

Whatever about all that, I find the farmyard manure / dung the best fertiliser of all. I target it to my worst field every autumn and it's great stuff. Slow release too. And loads of worms.

green daries

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118433161#Comment_118433161

There's a lot of people not following them

straight

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118437000#Comment_118437000

Only the fools follow rules.

Tonynewholland

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118436588#Comment_118436588

Why leave it in the sheds so long better in a heap outside. The straw will become acidic as it breaks down also it will use up some nitrogen already in the soil.

amacca

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118437308#Comment_118437308

Handier to scrape up out of shed main reason....did the other but always picking up rocks out of uneven ground and lots left behind if using bucket etc...been meaning to put in dungstead but its 7nder a roof in shed and dries out, less volume etc...have a couple of other more important shed projects to start/complete, you know how it is.

It's only a small place and shed not in use from around mid March to october/November so find it handiest to fire it out before cattle there go back in for the winter....also no double shifting/loading now that I think of it.

If the straw becomes acidic that way would a bit of lime with fertiliser counterbalance it? Until I get a suitable place to pile it up....thing is it would be on a flat concrete surface in a dungstead too....although piled up so I suppose it gets to heat up in the centre aiding breakdown?

Western Pomise

Hi all, will apologise for the long post in advance:)

With the way prices are at moment for likes of 18:6:12 and the predictions shared on here that the prices may well level off and reduce at bit from mid 2022 on would there be something to be said for only putting out half of fertiliser in Spring and go again in June or July?

Suckling and sheep here....mainly sheep and would always put out all 18:6:12 together in one go in Spring on grazing ground......more for handiness sake than anything else. Have a fragmented farm so set stock it and don't have a paddock system for rotating stock iykwim I would always have around 20% of grazing ground left idle from April to September to allow grass to regrow and freshen up on it. I house most of the sheep in January and February to rest the wetter parts of farm. Would always put out a bag to the acre of 10:10:20 or 18:6:12 on a few safe fields in early September to build up good grass for ewes to lamb there outdoors in March.

I don't overstock so with the way fertiliser prices are I'm thinking of just putting 3/4 of a bag of 18:6:12 per acre out in Mid April or whenever growth conditions look good and all of grazing ground is dry enough to travel on. Would usually put 3 bags 18:6:12 out on Silage ground to be made in early July.

After cleaning off any untidy and rough grass and rushes (of which I have plenty) I could then go with another 1/2 or 3/4 bag of 18:6:12 in late May or early June for example to boost growth again.

Would this sound like a good plan with the year that's in it?....priced local Agri store here on Friday and they are looking for 800 euro a tonne for 18:6:12 !!

At that price I will be trying to shop around first before committing to buy enough for the Spring.

Thanks for any replies.

Dozer1

a few pallets of fertiliser arrived in the local Kerry Depot here today, didn't see any armed guards,

straight

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118451096#Comment_118451096

Tunnel in. Draw it out in your pockets

green daries

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118448603#Comment_118448603

Sounds like a good plan for your system try have a but more ground idle IE maybe split up a big field with a temporary electric fence for the summer

mf240

Rang the credit union. They have no urea

1373

My local co op have 30 ton of a mixture of fertilizer in the yard and the manager told me they can’t shift it . He says a lot of guys are waiting to see what happens. Interesting times ahead . Winter hasn’t come yet and if spring is late, fert won’t be needed till April

tanko

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118451675#Comment_118451675

What about CAN or Cutsward??

Danzy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118448603#Comment_118448603

I'd strongly advise some temporary fencing, pigtail poles and temp wire, cheap and effective.

Split the field from the trough.

If it is a week set stocking, make two 4 day paddocks or a week long paddock, id it's a big skelp, Sure you know yourself. As much as you can and where it suits. I think you will be surprised how much difference it can make it to the grass regardless of fertilizer. They are easy to move across.

I split sheep paddocks with electric sheep wire, but that probably won't suit.

Your plan makes sense with the fertilizer.

Danzy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118451697#Comment_118451697

See farms around mid Cork, great dairy land, where they'll be all out to manage the grass already there.

One field I drive past, baled early October, the height of grass in it.

Grass to kick here.

jimmy G M

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118448603#Comment_118448603

Have you done any soil tests lately. Whats your P&k like? If you are putting 10.10.20 on grazing ground every year, chances are the p&k on those fields is high. Switching to CAN on those fields in spring would grow more grass for less money spent. At the rate you are talking about 1/2 a bag of CAN would have more N than 3/4 bag of 18.6.12. If fertility is good enough youd get away without P&K on those fields for a year or two.

If no slurry going out, 3 bags of 18.6.12 would not be enough K to grow a good silage crop year on year in the same ground. You would need some 0.7.30 or 50% potash on that ground. Ok not the year to be doing that but something to look at medium term.

Try a simple dividing of fields with pigtails as others suggested, grass goes further, better regrowth, improves grass quality over time.

Also look at lime lime situation. Spreading 2/3 t of lime per acre might give better results than manure?

Western Pomise

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118452014#Comment_118452014

Thanks, typical North West of Ireland farm here, fields varying in size from 1 acre to 4 acres but animals have the run of a full section at a time as in a lot of cases there are old stone walls that are broken down. Probably didn't explain it well enough, as regards putting out 10:10:20 only ever put it on 2 or 3 safe fields in early September of around 3 acres size to give ground body for carrying ewes in Spring during lambing.

Last time I soil sampled was around 3 years ago and P and K indexes were good in general. Might look at doing some liming alright depending on weather in Spring as some of farm would be wet enough.

Would you have to keep stock off ground for long after spreading Lime?....thanks for all the helpful replies,I have never used pigtails and temporary fencing as suggested by everyone replying......would that be with electric wire?...... and if on an outfarm how much would it cost roughly for a good strong battery, and enough wire and pigtails to divide say a square shaped 4 acre field in half iykwim?

This would be for use with sheep so I presume you probably need to use two rows of electric fencing to keep them in?

Apologies on going off topic regarding questions on rough cost and use of electric fencing and pigtails but know nothing about them. Thanks for any advice regarding lime use as well....as a while since I used it.

Thanks for any replies.

Hard Knocks

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118454174#Comment_118454174

Spread ground lime on bare ground and do not spread on meadows until silage is cut, gran lime can be spread on meadows but only lasts about 6 months, a bit of rain to wash off the leaf is all you need. Some of the fencers that run off a car battery are ideal, while wire & some reels and your in business. Best thing is if you want to top, fertilizer, slurry etc, just roll up & work away