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Slurry instead of fertiliser

  • 28-01-2011 10:27am
    #1
    westlander
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 292 ✭✭


    Hello,
    After getting the soil tested it turns out that we mostly needed lime and then we were allowed to put 2 tonne of CAN max on 30 acres per yr.

    Im wondering with the prices of fertiliser am I better off putting out all slurry as I have a tanker and tractor and theres a piggery not too far away...or will I lose out by not putting out the CAN?

    Would like to hear other peoples views

    Thanks
    westlander


Comments

  • #2
    jeff greene
    Closed Accounts Posts: 733 ✭✭✭jeff greene


    2 ton of CAN for 30 acres is very small. Give more details of your farming system. If your P + K are adequate, you will only need N, slurry supplies mostly P and K with a little N.


  • #3
    Pharaoh1
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 354 ✭✭Pharaoh1


    I was thinking about this also.
    I used to get a contractor to spread pig slurry for me in early Feb.
    It always worked well but with diesel costs etc it is now working out at nearly 50 euro (incl VAT) per 2500 gal tanker.
    Last year I changed to urea early on and even with higher prices this year I think I'll stick with that.
    I will probably still get some slurry to top up the P and K on the silage paddocks later on.


  • #4
    westlander
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 292 ✭✭westlander


    jeff greene wrote: »
    2 ton of CAN for 30 acres is very small. Give more details of your farming system. If your P + K are adequate, you will only need N, slurry supplies mostly P and K with a little N.

    Well Jeff,
    For years (before we got the soil tested) we were putting on 18-6-12 & 10-10-20 without knowing for sure what the land needed. So when we joined REPs we got the soil tested. I forget the actual results at the moment but lime was what it really needed from the soil tests


  • #5
    Birdnuts
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,868 ✭✭✭Birdnuts


    westlander wrote: »
    Well Jeff,
    For years (before we got the soil tested) we were putting on 18-6-12 & 10-10-20 without knowing for sure what the land needed. So when we joined REPs we got the soil tested. I forget the actual results at the moment but lime was what it really needed from the soil tests

    I'm amazed by the fact it is only recently that so many farmers bothered to soil test their land - there is no doubt that if the likes of Teagasc had been more on the ball in this area in the last 30 years farmers around the country wouldn't have wasted so much time and money over-fertilizing their land leading to various other problems like ground water contamination and other types of water pollution:(


  • #6
    reilig
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,401 ✭✭✭reilig


    Birdnuts wrote: »
    I'm amazed by the fact it is only recently that so many farmers bothered to soil test their land - there is no doubt that if the likes of Teagasc had been more on the ball in this area in the last 30 years farmers around the country wouldn't have wasted so much time and money over-fertilizing their land leading to various other problems like ground water contamination and other types of water pollution:(

    Private planners, Teagasc and Acot services before them have been very much on the ball as regards soil testing for the last 30 years and more. The reason why many farmers only recently bothered to do soil tests is that most weren't using any farm planning service (Acot/Teagasc or private) until reps was introduced. Since then, soil tests have been compulsory. Its fair to say that REPS and the use of farm planners have opened many people's eyes to the proper use of fertilizer and slurry - up to this, a large proportion of farmers in this country operated a "spread and see" policy.


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  • #7
    Birdnuts
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,868 ✭✭✭Birdnuts


    reilig wrote: »
    Private planners, Teagasc and Acot services before them have been very much on the ball as regards soil testing for the last 30 years and more. The reason why many farmers only recently bothered to do soil tests is that most weren't using any farm planning service (Acot/Teagasc or private) until reps was introduced. Since then, soil tests have been compulsory. Its fair to say that REPS and the use of farm planners have opened many people's eyes to the proper use of fertilizer and slurry - up to this, a large proportion of farmers in this country operated a "spread and see" policy.

    I'm aware things have improved in recent years - I'm querying as why the state wasn't more pro-active in previous years given that they are the law-makes and dispensers of farm supports which should have came with these basic conditions from day 1


  • #8
    reilig
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,401 ✭✭✭reilig


    Birdnuts wrote: »
    I'm aware things have improved in recent years - I'm querying as why the state wasn't more pro-active in previous years given that they are the law-makes and dispensers of farm supports which should have came with these basic conditions from day 1

    That's the state for you. The soil testing service was available. In the 1980's Acot were promoting it at every opportunity. However, there was no onus on farmers to have it done.


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