Autumn is the season where maintenance and capital fertiliser application can help set your paddocks up to meet your pasture and winter feed demands. Fertiliser can be one of the biggest investments on-farm, so it is important that soil testing is conducted to inform your fertiliser purchasing decisions.
Here are some tips to consider:
» Consider a soil test to take the guess work out of nutrient management and to guide cost-effective fertiliser decisions.
» Aim to take 15 to 20 cores of soil over a representative sample area. To reduce result variation, tests should be taken over the same transect line.
» Pasture tests should be taken at 75 mm and crop soil tests should be taken at 150 mm. Avoid areas such as gateways, fence lines and dung and urine patches. Ensure that your samples arrive at the laboratory overnight.
SustaiN® is a specially formulated nitrogen fertiliser containing AGROTAIN® nitrogen stabiliser - a world proven technology that reduces nitrogen losses from volatilisation (ammonia gas loss to the atmosphere).
SurePhos is a slow release phosphorus fertiliser that gradually releases into the soil. This results in more phosphorus retained in the soil and less lost to the environment. It’s designed to help farmers reduce phosphate loss by up to 75%*.
*Relative to superphosphate products
PhaSedN is a premium combination of SustaiN, fine elemental sulphur and fine lime. PhaSedN is a unique autumn fertiliser that boosts pasture growth on either side of winter.
PhaSedN Quick Starts unique formulation contains SustaiN, fine elemental sulphur and sulphate of ammonia.
Measure to manage soil fertility
Autumn is the season where many farmers apply maintenance and capital fertilisers. Typically, fertiliser can be one of biggest expenses on-farm so it's important that soil testing is conducted before any purchase.
Autumn fertiliser considerations
Applying autumn nutrients as fertiliser is a major expense for New Zealand sheep and beef farms, so a strategic approach is required to only apply what is needed.
Spotlight on the soil profile
Many people owe their livelihood, directly or indirectly, to soil. But how many of us understand this valuable resource? This is a new two-part series that focuses on soil profile and highlights features to look for.
