Choosing right fertiliser for second cut silage

While we all attempt to get our heads around the rising input costs on farm it is critical that the right choices are made when it comes to buying fertiliser.
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Current ongoing research at AFBI, Hillsborough in conjunction with the Agrisearch Grasscheck program is highlighting the absolute need to apply adequate fertiliser to grassland to ensure optimum crop growth and overall efficiency.

In recent and coming days most farmers in Northern Ireland will harvest their first cut of silage with others now looking towards cutting for the second time in the 2022 season and thoughts will turn to growing the subsequent crop of grass.

What is the best form of nitrogen fertiliser to use?

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The SustaiN range of fertilisers is an ideal choice and offers farmers many advantages over traditional CAN based products. SustaiN is a urea based treated with a specific urease inhibitor to prevent nitrogen losses through volatilisation.

That urease inhibitor is Agrotain® and it has been proven to perform on farm regardless of the weather conditions. This evidence comes from extensive trials around the world including locally by AFBI over a number of seasons. The AFBI research concluded that from a grass yield point of view Agrotain® treated urea performed “at least as well as CAN”.

Other benefits of using SustaiN to grow your grass this season include:

Higher nitrogen content therefore you require less tonnes of fertiliser and every time you fill your spreader/spinner you cover more acres. This time and labour saving can be invaluable at such a busy time of the year.

Range of products within including some with Potash and Sulphur to match off–takes and increase grass protein levels.

Improved nitrogen use efficiency and nitrogen uptake by your grass crop enables you to grow better grass, with improved quality attributes.

Reduced environmental emissions and losses means your nitrogen stays where you put it on your fields in your soil, so you can grow the grass you need.

Cost savings are expected by using SustaiN either in cost per unit of nitrogen, or savings in time and labour.

Many farmers across Northern Ireland have already been using SustaiN fertiliser for a number of years as their product of choice for all grass growth including for second cuts with great success.

Tyrone farmer who is using SustaiN as part of his multi cut silage production system with a regular soil testing programme in place. He is matching his second cut requirements through a combination of slurry and the SustaiN 36-0-8.5+S to get a top quality crop of silage.

Antrim farmer who is achieving “high grass yields and excellent silage protein levels using the SustaiN 38+ 17.5 SO3 product”.

Armagh farmer claims “one of the best advantages of SustaiN fertiliser is the release pattern of the nitrogen. I’ve had no issues with my silage quality as I haven’t been bringing unused nitrogen back into the pit, which is a good thing. It means I’m getting full value from my N inputs”.

Talk to your United Feeds representative today about how switching to SustaiN nitrogen fertiliser for your second cut 
requirements could be beneficial.