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Spread Urea or Not

cacs

I measured grass last week and i have an average farm cover of 1798. Last year i went out with 1/2 of bag of urea per acre and i had very high covers of grass.
In fact some of them got so strong that i could not graze them out, there was too much stem in them and i never got them back for the rest of the year. I let cattle out on the first of April last year. This year i am planning on letting lighter cattle out as soon as stops bloody raining or else i will have to life jackets on them. The only thing was last April the weather came very hard and there was no growth for the month as it was hard and dry. Its a hard call. The covers are not lush grass, its last back ends grass. So i guess my question is Urea or graze

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babybrian

I spread urea yesterday 1/2 bag. I always try to spread in January if conditions allow. Very little growth from it but saves me spreading in Feb when cows are calving. This year the soil is 9 and even if it gets cold next week the plant will have taken in the urea and store it for when soil comes back to 6. Maybe also the weather won't get cold or not cold for too long and soil might not even go below 6(glass half full)

Mortelaro

If the average air temp stays below 6c in February, there'll be precious little take up of spread Nitrogen,that's the concern I have
Add frost or worse snow into the mix and you'll be shriveling grass
Last year's spell started in the last 2 weeks of February
Potentially this upcoming spell could kibosh the whole of February ,hence my decision if you follow?
From a farming point of view,hopefully not
Everybody's decision is their own and hopefully it will work out for each
Universal though would be the advice to maybe source purchased fodder if a months delay in planned getting out means it was needed

Bass Reeves

Mortelaro wrote: »

You are lucky Bass that you're not allowed spread yet,because ground temps won't be 10c next week,what will the response to urea be with night frosts and air temps in single digits and likely worse the following week?
It's beautiful at the moment but I'm not spending money on urea if it sits there doing nothing,
What I've decided to do is graze some land to the butt,spread slurry on it and then when the weather is right for fert graze the rest of the farm while waiting for the spread part to grow
That'll be in march
Now my decision is weather forecast dependent and fluid so I'm waiting untill Sunday to confirm my plan as there's a lot of forecast uncertainty
If the outlook improves which it might I'll change it but either way,grazing now has saved a lot of silage and thanks to unusual regrowth,without compromising full time turnout

Be careful of the false security of this so far mild weather is what I'm saying if you get me?

I have limited slurry this year and I want taht for silage ground in late March. If N was spread Sunday or Monday it would be taken up by the plants and safe by Thursday. Ground conditions are excellent and turn out date look like it will be decided more by grass growth than by ground conditions. If we get a cold spell we will get rain after and usually and this will delay spreading. As I said ground temp was 10C and dry so hard to see grass stopping growing for long.

i spread last year in Mid february during a similar spell to what is gone. Grass grew in spurts and finally took off. Growth could be more of an issue in Late March/April rather than now and grass covers would benefit from it.

Mortelaro

Mooooo wrote: »

Tis rainfall or snow I'd be worried about tbh, once it's anyway dry it'll be manageable either way

Yeah I agree,I said before I follow all this and have done for decades and said a while ago it's a bit like being married to a nurse,you've too much information sometimes on health
Weather's no different because I'm looking a week ahead,seeing what may be down the tracks and being cautious whilst at the same time being happy in my skin grazing to make milk in the currently wonderful conditions knowing they'll change

Everyone can make their own decisions

restive

I do not know about GSFs but I am on the tractor today with thermals on, transporting bales of silage. Its cold.

Mooooo

Tis rainfall or snow I'd be worried about tbh, once it's anyway dry it'll be manageable either way

Mortelaro

Green farmer wrote: »

Around 18 minutes onwards their looking at different models for next week https://youtu.be/oHWXkVQ2cpI

The GFS and ECM
2 models

The ECM is the preferred model of most European agencies including Met Éireann
GFS solutions are often thrown out
Its the 'one' I was referring to left with warmer solutions that are in fact also cold,the over riding signal from practically all sources points to at least a few weeks of colder than average weather due to pressure on the jet stream to slow down (thanks to a number of factors) which opens the door to cold and in that cold windows of colder cold meandering in
We should have a better idea on how it plays out by next week
We are currently in a warmer than average spell
We won't be from next week,no detail though yet

Green farmer

Mortelaro wrote: »

One

Around 18 minutes onwards their looking at different models for next week https://youtu.be/oHWXkVQ2cpI

Mortelaro

Green farmer wrote: »

There’s a few different weather models about. Some don’t have the cold weather reaching us.

One

Green farmer

There’s a few different weather models about. Some don’t have the cold weather reaching us.

Mortelaro

K9 wrote: »

Why spread slurry if the weather isn’t suited for urea.

To empty the tanks?

Meanwhile here's a tweet from the media director of the UK met office

https://twitter.com/Petagna/status/1085160602354503681?s=19

Mortelaro wrote: »

You are lucky Bass that you're not allowed spread yet,because ground temps won't be 10c next week,what will the response to urea be with night frosts and air temps in single digits and likely worse the following week?
It's beautiful at the moment but I'm not spending money on urea if it sits there doing nothing,
What I've decided to do is graze some land to the butt,spread slurry on it and then when the weather is right for fert graze the rest of the farm while waiting for the spread part to grow
That'll be in march
Now my decision is weather forecast dependent and fluid so I'm waiting untill Sunday to confirm my plan as there's a lot of forecast uncertainty
If the outlook improves which it might I'll change it but either way,grazing now has saved a lot of silage and thanks to unusual regrowth,without compromising full time turnout

Be careful of the false security of this so far mild weather is what I'm saying if you get me?

Why spread slurry if the weather isn’t suited for urea.

jaymla627

Mortelaro wrote: »

You are lucky Bass that you're not allowed spread yet,because ground temps won't be 10c next week,what will the response to urea be with night frosts and air temps in single digits and likely worse the following week?
It's beautiful at the moment but I'm not spending money on urea if it sits there doing nothing,
What I've decided to do is graze some land to the butt,spread slurry on it and then when the weather is right for fert graze the rest of the farm while waiting for the spread part to grow
That'll be in march
Now my decision is weather forecast dependent and fluid so I'm waiting untill Sunday to confirm my plan as there's a lot of forecast uncertainty
If the outlook improves which it might I'll change it but either way,grazing now has saved a lot of silage and thanks to unusual regrowth,without compromising full time turnout

Be careful of the false security of this so far mild weather is what I'm saying if you get me?

Last spring should of knocked some sense into lads re early urea, but with it being conference season and the grass propaganda machine in overdrive the majority just can’t resist the urge to hook up the spreader

Mortelaro

You are lucky Bass that you're not allowed spread yet,because ground temps won't be 10c next week,what will the response to urea be with night frosts and air temps in single digits and likely worse the following week?
It's beautiful at the moment but I'm not spending money on urea if it sits there doing nothing,
What I've decided to do is graze some land to the butt,spread slurry on it and then when the weather is right for fert graze the rest of the farm while waiting for the spread part to grow
That'll be in march
Now my decision is weather forecast dependent and fluid so I'm waiting untill Sunday to confirm my plan as there's a lot of forecast uncertainty
If the outlook improves which it might I'll change it but either way,grazing now has saved a lot of silage and thanks to unusual regrowth,without compromising full time turnout

Be careful of the false security of this so far mild weather is what I'm saying if you get me?

Bass Reeves

Lambman wrote: »

Anybody with Urea out yet? Have bare fields that sheep are just off and fields that were closed in October so a bit off cover on them ewes are all housed now so thinking on doing everything with 1/2 bag till acre off Urea. Any advice

Take your ground temperature. At present mine is 10C however I am not open to spread until the 16th I think. The forecast after the 16 is for heavy rain for a few days. Ideally I should have spread yesterday or the day before so taht it would be below ground and in the roots before the 16th.

Lambman

Anybody with Urea out yet? Have bare fields that sheep are just off and fields that were closed in October so a bit off cover on them ewes are all housed now so thinking on doing everything with 1/2 bag till acre off Urea. Any advice

wrangler

Waffletraktor wrote: »

Lime and urea's hardly a great idea?

Yea, I thought it was non runner with ordinary lime, what's the position with Granlime

[Deleted User]

Bass Reeves wrote: »

mahoney_j wrote: »

Rightly or wrongly covered milk block with 150 kg per hectare of yarra early start yesterday .going at out blick in a bit .slurry on grazed ground from tomorrow

Made up my own version of early start, big bag of urea, 80-90kgs of CAN and about 30kgs of Granlime. Used a bit last year on a bit away from main farm very good at start of year

Lime and urea's hardly a great idea?

Bass Reeves

mahoney_j wrote: »

Rightly or wrongly covered milk block with 150 kg per hectare of yarra early start yesterday .going at out blick in a bit .slurry on grazed ground from tomorrow

Made up my own version of early start, big bag of urea, 80-90kgs of CAN and about 30kgs of Granlime. Used a bit last year on a bit away from main farm very good at start of year

mahoney_j

Rightly or wrongly covered milk block with 150 kg per hectare of yarra early start yesterday .going at out blick in a bit .slurry on grazed ground from tomorrow

Robson99

Gearing up a small spreder to put on the Dogs back. Its about all you would let out on the land around here.

Bass Reeves

Started spreading yesterday. Spread about 10-12 acres at about 35-38 units/acre of N. Will try to do another 12 acres tomorrow evening and again on Saturday. Ground condition have improved and will start letting cattle out in the next 3-7 days. 15 acres got slurry about 3 weeks ago. Nearly ready to rock

darragh_haven

restive wrote: »

Not sure, I am chancing my arm giving that we are now heading towards March.
Frost does not hurt fertilizer although it will hurt grass growth. The nitrogen will stay in the ground until milder weather comes along. When I put out the fertilizer yesterday. I was not leaving any tracks with the tractor wheels. I thought ground was in very good condition.

Whole farm covered yesterday. Different ground got different rates tho

restive

cathal irwin wrote:

I am a novice with early urea. Is the frost we are getting at night too reducing soil temperatures too much to spread urea. Or is it perfect

Not sure, I am chancing my arm giving that we are now heading towards March.
Frost does not hurt fertilizer although it will hurt grass growth. The nitrogen will stay in the ground until milder weather comes along. When I put out the fertilizer yesterday. I was not leaving any tracks with the tractor wheels. I thought ground was in very good condition.

Say my name

K.G. wrote: »

Say my name wrote: »

The sea.
(I posted that in a previous post).

I probably should have just kept stumb. :
Not everything has to come out of a bottle or have a label on it for it to have any effect.

If you don't believe in EC ask yourself why dawggone had that dark green patch of grass that received no water.
Salt stressed grass goes dark green anymore though and it dies. Ask any lawn owner in a hot country.

Also ask yourself why some farmers in your own county consistently get 4t crops of barley when a few miles away you're back down to 3t crops.

As I say not promoting anything but sharing my experiences.
Hopefully not a crime
We live about a mile as the crow flies from the sea and we rent land on the edge but i think the fields on the sea edge grow less due to salt spray. At least it definately has a shorter season as right now it has burnt bare look.i remember back during the droughts of the mid 80s guys saying not to put seawater on the land but some guys were spreading from lakes.

Too much of anything will burn a plant.
I've a paddock that has that burned look that got DS and others that are alright.
The one that got burned is coming back higher in calcium levels and pH than the other ones and extremely low in Boron (barely registering).

K.G.

Say my name wrote: »

K.G. wrote: »

parden me but this sea water business is starting to sound like homeopathy.heaps of sea water being spread on our area every year and dont see things preforming any different to other parts.where do you buy it

The sea.
(I posted that in a previous post).

I probably should have just kept stumb. :
Not everything has to come out of a bottle or have a label on it for it to have any effect.

If you don't believe in EC ask yourself why dawggone had that dark green patch of grass that received no water.
Salt stressed grass goes dark green anymore though and it dies. Ask any lawn owner in a hot country.

Also ask yourself why some farmers in your own county consistently get 4t crops of barley when a few miles away you're back down to 3t crops.

As I say not promoting anything but sharing my experiences.
Hopefully not a crime
We live about a mile as the crow flies from the sea and we rent land on the edge but i think the fields on the sea edge grow less due to salt spray. At least it definately has a shorter season as right now it has burnt bare look.i remember back during the droughts of the mid 80s guys saying not to put seawater on the land but some guys were spreading from lakes.

cacs

restive wrote: »

Milder weather this week coming. Although occasional frost at night. I will be putting out two bags of replenish to the acre this week coming. Hoping for some grazing in march.

I am a novice with early urea. Is the frost we are getting at night too reducing soil temperatures too much to spread urea. Or is it perfect

restive

Milder weather this week coming. Although occasional frost at night. I will be putting out two bags of replenish to the acre this week coming. Hoping for some grazing in march.

Gawddawggonnit

yosemitesam1 wrote: »

That lad should know betterðŸ˜‰. He's currently starting a study to show how great intensive dairy farming can be with regards to GHG emissions.

Splitting the country up into intensive grass farming and planting the rest to offset the emissions is the great plan for the future...

I’ve two lads here on quads since yesterday afternoon. They’ve got a nifty thingy that has a little auger that drills down to 90cm. It takes 3samples...

First sample is to 15cm. N,P, K + OM.
Second to 30cm. N + OM.
Third to 90cm. N.

Gps on both quads...

Costs me €17 per sample. 1sample per 5ha.
Gov pays for the rest.

I waited until weather is foul to try and have as much N washed out of the soil as possible so as to get max allowance of artificial N...if I was to go by the author I’d wait until July!!

Gov pay for the service because they now have a very accurate picture, with geolocation, of the state of my land...(otherwise I’d be sampling in the butt end of Connemara!)
Not much point in claiming to be an island of intensive farming in a sea of extensive farmland....

(I’ve pity on the two lads driving the quads. Rain and sleet going sideways)

Say my name

K.G. wrote: »

parden me but this sea water business is starting to sound like homeopathy.heaps of sea water being spread on our area every year and dont see things preforming any different to other parts.where do you buy it

The sea.
(I posted that in a previous post).

I probably should have just kept stumb.

:
Not everything has to come out of a bottle or have a label on it for it to have any effect.

If you don't believe in EC ask yourself why dawggone had that dark green patch of grass that received no water.
Salt stressed grass goes dark green anymore though and it dies. Ask any lawn owner in a hot country.

Also ask yourself why some farmers in your own county consistently get 4t crops of barley when a few miles away you're back down to 3t crops.

As I say not promoting anything but sharing my experiences.
Hopefully not a crime.