Fertiliser for silage

Carrigogunnell

Well-Known Member
As the title says wondering about fertiliser for silage. Mainly how much do the p and k help over one a cut. I have got 8 acres for second cut this year the lad cuts it for hay and then tops it a few times after that for the rest of the year. It's gets no fertiliser and I would imagine it hasn't in a very long time. Is it worth my while spreading p and k with the nitrogen will i get enough back out of it to justify the extra cost
 
It's low in everything most likely if its mowed every year and not fertilized though better no fertiliser than just nitrogen to milk it.
I'd imagine some compound will return better than straight n and maybe grow a leafier crop
 
I agree with Headcase about the soil sample, but realise that it mightn't be practical for such small acreage.
The one thing that you have to be aware of is that every time you graze it or cut it, you are taking N P and K off of it. Some of this can be replaced with slurry. But if you are not using slurry, you have to put it back with the bag. So I expect that spreading P and K would be a very useful and rewarding exercise
 
As the title says wondering about fertiliser for silage. Mainly how much do the p and k help over one a cut. I have got 8 acres for second cut this year the lad cuts it for hay and then tops it a few times after that for the rest of the year. It's gets no fertiliser and I would imagine it hasn't in a very long time. Is it worth my while spreading p and k with the nitrogen will i get enough back out of it to justify the extra cost
can you not get slurry locally? you get some kick of the first couple of applications of slurry on land that hasnt seen it in a long time. so I would say 2k gls of slurry per acre and then maybe 40 to 50 units of straight Nitrogen with Sulphur
 
I might be able to just depends how busy we are at the time to draw it. If not will i get a justified kick off spreading p and k. It may not be to bad as its being only cut one per yr and topped a few times after so whatever the grass has taken up should have gone dowm again when it rotted
 
I might be able to just depends how busy we are at the time to draw it. If not will i get a justified kick off spreading p and k. It may not be to bad as its being only cut one per yr and topped a few times after so whatever the grass has taken up should have gone dowm again when it rotted

its pretty debatable, where there is a cut off of applied PK over a short term and the resultant increase in yield and nutrient within the silage coming off. you looking at applying P & K, 6 to 8 weeks before you hope to harvest it. I would have my doubts about how big a kick you will get. If I was going doing it, I wouldnt be applying a whole lot of it. I would consider the P and K in slurry allot fastering acting, even though the book says otherwise
 
I might be able to just depends how busy we are at the time to draw it. If not will i get a justified kick off spreading p and k. It may not be to bad as its being only cut one per yr and topped a few times after so whatever the grass has taken up should have gone dowm again when it rotted
If you only have it for the second cut this year you will get very little if any kick from P.
You get a good response from K if the ph isn't too bad, similar with N.
If it could be an on going arrangement, soil test and use lime then P.
If a one off, spread a bag of MOP (50% K) and 2 bags of Sulfacan.
 
If you only have it for the second cut this year you will get very little if any kick from P.
You get a good response from K if the ph isn't too bad, similar with N.
If it could be an on going arrangement, soil test and use lime then P.
If a one off, spread a bag of MOP (50% K) and 2 bags of Sulfacan.

will you get a kick for K over that length of growth period?? considering luxury uptake is an issue with K I suppose it get into the plant pretty fast. I would include 10units of S. As a rule and I was farming the land fulltime, I would usually apply the same amount of K as N and a 20% of this figure as S. So if I was applying 50N, I apply 50K and 10S. but this is for land im farming on a continuous bases
 
will you get a kick for K over that length of growth period?? considering luxury uptake is an issue with K I suppose it get into the plant pretty fast. I would include 10units of S. As a rule and I was farming the land fulltime, I would usually apply the same amount of K as N and a 20% of this figure as S. So if I was applying 50N, I apply 50K and 10S. but this is for land im farming on a continuous bases
I believe you will get a very good kick from K if the index is low and ph isn't exceptionally low.
It is nearly as soluble and mobile as N and very important for leaf and stem growth.
 
Dad is going on about spreading fert already!
Fields are dry enough and the weather isn't and hasn't been cold.

Is it such a daft idea?

25kg/ ac of Urea.

We would normally be going out with urea end of Feb / soon as poss into March.

Grass is still growing al be it slowly.
 
Dad is going on about spreading fert already!
Fields are dry enough and the weather isn't and hasn't been cold.

Is it such a daft idea?

25kg/ ac of Urea.

We would normally be going out with urea end of Feb / soon as poss into March.

Grass is still growing al be it slowly.
if i had any id be













leaving it in the shed for a month:laugh:

still havent had the brunt of winter yet
 
Dad is going on about spreading fert already!
Fields are dry enough and the weather isn't and hasn't been cold.

Is it such a daft idea?

25kg/ ac of Urea.

We would normally be going out with urea end of Feb / soon as poss into March.

Grass is still growing al be it slowly.

Leave it in the bag a while mate, plenty o time for mother nature to see her Arse and spit the dummy,,
 
Dad is going on about spreading fert already!
Fields are dry enough and the weather isn't and hasn't been cold.

Is it such a daft idea?

25kg/ ac of Urea.

We would normally be going out with urea end of Feb / soon as poss into March.

Grass is still growing al be it slowly.
The 'beast from the east' is supposedly returning at the end of the month so better leave it I would think!!!:scared:
 
The 'beast from the east' is supposedly returning at the end of the month so better leave it I would think!!!:scared:
I'd spread urea the week before the last beast. Grew nicely after it still!
 
urea doesn't leach away
i suppose the ground is the main factor this time of year

personally tho i wait till mid feb
 
Soooo this happened today....
Screenshot_20190110-171205.png


Same as @kverneland es 80 60kg/ha urea

Way I figure it is we will have ewes out in Feb. And with feed at £290 a tonne I need all the grass I can get!
 
I have generally spread urea in late January or February when conditions were good.
I saw a teagasc post on fb lately not promoting early n from research results but it said more details to follow in the next teagasc newsletter
 
This article was published in the journal last week too.it seemed to suggest that no urea should be spread until March to get an economic response.
This is very different to what we have been told in the past imv
 
This article was published in the journal last week too.it seemed to suggest that no urea should be spread until March to get an economic response.
This is very different to what we have been told in the past imv
here you will definitely get a good response in mid feb:Thumbp2:

edit
from a application mid feb
 
This article was published in the journal last week too.it seemed to suggest that no urea should be spread until March to get an economic response.
This is very different to what we have been told in the past imv
Its in March we want the grass, so you will want to have the urea out before then.As @headcase said I have always seen a good response to early urea.
 
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