Over 600 people attend webinars

Recordings of the webinars are now available to view on the AgriSearch website and YouTube channel.

AgriSearch General Manager Jason Rankin said: “Recognising the considerable impact that the recent dramatic rises in fertiliser prices will have on dairy, beef and sheep farms AgriSearch acted quickly and commissioned AFBI to carry out an urgent desktop review to assess the impact of price increases on the economics of fertiliser application for grass production.

“The findings of this review were presented in the webinar by Dr Debbie McConnell from AFBI and will enable farmers to make informed choices and maximise their return on investment from purchased fertiliser.

“The review also examined longer-term options for reducing the use of manufactured fertilisers which is important not only from an economic stand point but also an environmental perspective - helping farmers lower their carbon emissions.

“The potential of white and red clover to substitute fertiliser N and improve herbage digestibility was presented by Dr David Patterson from AFBI during the webinar.

“We were also delighted to team up with CAFRE with Aveen McMullan discussing how to optimise soil health and make the best use of manures.

“She was joined by CAFRE Dairy Technologist Robert Patterson and CAFRE Beef and Sheep Development Adviser Rachel Megarrell who discussed a number of practical scenarios with a focus on optimising nutrient and livestock management practices to maximise fertiliser utilisation for the incoming season,” Jason Rankin concluded.

The recording of the Fertiliser Planning webinar for the Dairy sector can be viewed at https://youtu.be/0U3wWOhlAng