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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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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: »

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

Mooooo

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

restive

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

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

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

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

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)

Lambman

Urea ment till be arriving today was gonna go a bag till acre but yous have me a bit worried so going with half bag now till see what happens.

Keepgrowing

Urea has been delivered here and soil temp is 8oC. Was going to spread but as soil temp is falling and we had frost last night I’ve decided against it. We will go when soil starts to climb again.

Currently grazing by day. On a 70 day round so it’s a 5 hrs at grass and back in. We’re taking some heavier covers 1400 at the moment and one wet paddock of 1200. Taking wet paddock now as it won’t be as dry again till May. Paddocks grazed should have 1200 on them by April 1. Playing the ball infront of us as if it gets real wet we won’t be grazing hard so take it while we can. Under no illusions that there won’t be 10-12 days of complete chaos weather wise, happens every spring. Slurry pipes arriving today, tanks not full but it’s one job done before calving. We have a serious first 3 weeks calving facing us here and a calf shed to get made and built in next 10-12 days. Steel arriving on Friday so a weekend of cutting, drilling, spraying and welding awaits. Have to be at something

Mooooo

Keepgrowing wrote: »

Urea has been delivered here and soil temp is 8oC. Was going to spread but as soil temp is falling and we had frost last night I’ve decided against it. We will go when soil starts to climb again.

Currently grazing by day. On a 70 day round so it’s a 5 hrs at grass and back in. We’re taking some heavier covers 1400 at the moment and one wet paddock of 1200. Taking wet paddock now as it won’t be as dry again till May. Paddocks grazed should have 1200 on them by April 1. Playing the ball infront of us as if it gets real wet we won’t be grazing hard so take it while we can. Under no illusions that there won’t be 10-12 days of complete chaos weather wise, happens every spring. Slurry pipes arriving today, tanks not full but it’s one job done before calving. We have a serious first 3 weeks calving facing us here and a calf shed to get made and built in next 10-12 days. Steel arriving on Friday so a weekend of cutting, drilling, spraying and welding awaits. Have to be at something

Are you grazing with milkers or dries? Was tempted to let out the weanlings but I'll see how weather goes next week, umbilical will be here next week, slurry would be watery enough so should be able to spread most parts without issue. Have spread thicker slurry over the past few days on light covers.

Say my name

It's up to everyone to decide for themselves what to do fert wise.

I know around me spreaders were going yesterday. I haven't gone myself.
But from looking at the weather charts this morning you'd have to seriously consider it.

GrasstoMilk

Say my name wrote: »

It's up to everyone to decide for themselves what to do fert wise.

I know around me spreaders were going yesterday. I haven't gone myself.
But from looking at the weather charts this morning you'd have to seriously consider it.

It's in the yard here but just haven't had the chance to get at it yet and kind of wondering now should I hold off if this cold weather that's being talked about comes.

mahoney_j

GrasstoMilk wrote: »

It's in the yard here but just haven't had the chance to get at it yet and kind of wondering now should I hold off if this cold weather that's being talked about comes.

Get contractor in to help ??

GrasstoMilk

mahoney_j wrote: »

Get contractor in to help ??

Will get at it tomorrow I'd say just getting calving shed and calf pens ready the last few days aswell as some slurry in the afternoons. That will be all done today

Timmaay

GrasstoMilk wrote: »

Will get at it tomorrow I'd say just getting calving shed and calf pens ready the last few days aswell as some slurry in the afternoons. That will be all done today

Have it sitting in the yard here but too busy bombing it down the slopes this week

I am reading correctly that the odds of this cold spell late Jan are diminishing?

Keepgrowing

Mooooo wrote: »

Are you grazing with milkers or dries? Was tempted to let out the weanlings but I'll see how weather goes next week, umbilical will be here next week, slurry would be watery enough so should be able to spread most parts without issue. Have spread thicker slurry over the past few days on light covers.

Autumn calvers

Say my name

Timmaay wrote: »

I am reading correctly that the odds of this cold spell late Jan are diminishing?

As a wise woman once said there's no point in looking past 5 days.

It could even be warm southwesterlies back to what we had before with a cover of high pressure.

Charts etc available here and so on.
https://www.theweatheroutlook.com/

Mortelaro

We should know Sunday the state of play on the cold spell
There is a lot of uncertainty untill we know what an American storm is going to do
Its movement into the Atlantic (Or not) governs where high pressure sets up in the Atlantic next week
If that high is down over us we stay not too cold but cold
If it builds mid Atlantic or to our north we get very cold
Said storms position and size and where it goes is what is unknown
Model run after model run has it different

Decision-making on Fert is your own but regardless don't expect the grass growing weather to continue through February but then nothing too unusual there
Friday looks wet btw and with the possibility of hill snow because some colder air pays a brief visit then too
Got up to 9c here in my part of the southeast today
The false sense of security is very real

Mooooo

If it is spread and in the ground I wouldn't be overly worried as if too cold for growth it'll mainly be still there just not being used by the plant. Risk of leaching would be rel low as ground should be able to take a bit of water. Cold will just stop it from being brought up. I think anyway. Not spreading here yet. First to get some will be reseeded ground and or ground that has received no slurry.

Mortelaro

Urea is a sturdier fert in frost anyway
Btw 2 of the main models have flipped back to the very cold options this evening, third and the biggest of the three is out in about 2 hrs,if it's flips back to cold there's a consensus for the first time,who' d be a forecaster

uck51js9zml2yt

We had frost this morning and sleet at lunchtime in Kerry.

PMU

Eat your meat, you`ll be grand......

whelan2

PMU wrote: »

Eat your meat, you`ll be grand......

There ya go

jaymla627

PMU wrote: »

Eat your meat, you`ll be grand......

Funny as it was, the last two days have shown that fg don’t give a flying f**k about agriculture, covneys comments today solidified it

Bass Reeves

Ground temp have dropped nearly 2C since last Saturday. still above 8C but only barely cold week ahead but grass is still growing at present. Any Urea spread early in the week should be safe now and risk of leeching is decreased as it will be in the plant roots

mengele

I have half a mind to spread half a bag just to save the grass if it gets cold rather than grow more. I have some heavy covers in place and don't want them to die back if there was hard frosts or snow and thinking the idea might keep the lush green in them.

GrasstoMilk

Bass Reeves wrote: »

Ground temp have dropped nearly 2C since last Saturday. still above 8C but only barely cold week ahead but grass is still growing at present. Any Urea spread early in the week should be safe now and risk of leeching is decreased as it will be in the plant roots

Spread 30kgs of urea on every acre on Thursday. Delighted I did now. It's looking like we might not get thus cold snap just yet

Green farmer

GrasstoMilk wrote: »

Spread 30kgs of urea on every acre on Thursday. Delighted I did now. It's looking like we might not get thus cold snap just yet

Saying it might get milder from Thursday onwards

Timmaay

GrasstoMilk wrote: »

Spread 30kgs of urea on every acre on Thursday. Delighted I did now. It's looking like we might not get thus cold snap just yet

Gonna lob out similar here Monday. Only thing I will say is the grass is quite green everywhere still anyways, so probably still has that bit of nitrogen in it from the autumn? Fodder stocks looking alot more healthy now also, will pickup more incalf heifers and drive on that bit now also.