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Chemical Fertilizer alternatives

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  • 15-11-2021 6:59pm
    #1
    Easten
    Registered Users Posts: 849 ✭✭✭


    Any ideas for what you can do to replace the Chemical stuff that we've become so dependant on.

    I've gathered up what fertilizer I have left around the place but will still be short by up to 8 ton and I'm only a handy operator, what will the big operators do?

    The alternatives I have so far are

    Lime, watery slurry, well rotted Farmyard manure are the obvious ones but I'm wondering is there any value in Wood/turf ashes also there was a form on here before about making some form of charcoal fertilizer.

    There's an old lime kiln on the farm, I presume they were doing something like burning something with limestone but what exactly used they be doing?



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Comments

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    #2
    Reggie.
    Registered Users Posts: 24,363 ✭✭✭✭Reggie.


    Liquid N



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    #3
    Mooooo
    Registered Users Posts: 8,611 ✭✭✭Mooooo


    Soil test and target what you have / can get where its needed. Sort ph now and use slurry for the the first round.

    Use LESS to make better use of slurry

    If possible instead of using the same ground for silage rotate around with grazing ground



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    #4
    Easten
    Registered Users Posts: 849 ✭✭✭Easten


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118171323#Comment_118171323

    Proper slurry use is going to go a long way. I'm thinking it will push back crop times a fair bit, the great thing about bag fertilizer is you can go out in spring with a light tractor or even a quad and you'll not put a mark on the ground. Travelling Silage fields with a 2000gallon tanker in Spring will leave a fair imprint on the ground



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    #5
    kevthegaff
    Registered Users Posts: 6,877 ✭✭✭kevthegaff


    Some lads here were saying run of chain Harrow releases nitrogen or am I raving...



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    #6
    Danzy
    Registered Users Posts: 13,244 ✭✭✭✭Danzy


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118171536#Comment_118171536

    Ploughing releases a lot, as it allows oxygen break down old organic matter, drives soil bacteria and fungi etc.


    So it may well



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    #7
    Deub
    Registered Users Posts: 1,281 ✭✭✭Deub


    Macerated nettles or comfrey in water?

    Has anyone tried?



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    #8
    mahoney_j
    Registered Users Posts: 11,071 ✭✭✭✭mahoney_j


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118171142#Comment_118171142

    Someone has spotted an opportunity …used some this year ..worked well



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    #9
    Easten
    Registered Users Posts: 849 ✭✭✭Easten


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118171142#Comment_118171142

    What exactly is liquid N, the only time I heard of this is some form of Tomato food



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    #10
    Danzy
    Registered Users Posts: 13,244 ✭✭✭✭Danzy


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118171835#Comment_118171835

    On the continent you can spray the nitrogen fertilizer with your sprayer on the tractor, put in your mix to water, special nozzles though.

    Suppose it is exactly like the tomato fertilizer just different mix.

    Have a look at this lot.https://deesideagri.ie/liquid-fertiliser/



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    #11
    Farm365
    Registered Users Posts: 120 ✭✭Farm365


    Is there much difference in price?



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    #12
    farawaygrass
    Registered Users Posts: 1,899 ✭✭✭farawaygrass


    Did ye see the article in the machinery section of the journal, it was about a liquid fertiliser sprayer. A lad in tipp I think bought it



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    #13
    Birdnuts
    Registered Users Posts: 9,632 ✭✭✭Birdnuts


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118171591#Comment_118171591

    Green manures with light slurry performed well for me on the wholecrop oats I have been growing recently. Noticed a significant increase in worm activity too



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    #14
    Say my name
    Registered Users Posts: 11,047 ✭✭✭✭Say my name


    First thing to do is look at your calcium and magnesium levels. Then correct if needed. Potassium then and correct if needed. Potassium is needed anyway in a growing crop. And just because it tests well in the soil doesn't mean it's crop available. But obviously don't overdo it if it's testing well.

    https://blog.nutri-tech.com.au/in-defense-of-albrecht/

    When the soil is done. Foliars can be looked at.

    It's not simple either no matter what anyone says. Well it is and isn't. Your own commonsense on fancy machines and fancy brews has to come into it and even then your neighbour will always have a better crop. Always be curious and never stop researching.



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    #15
    Sillycave
    Registered Users Posts: 177 ✭✭Sillycave


    Would the slurry bug products be any good to help?



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    #16
    Mushy06
    Registered Users Posts: 82 ✭✭Mushy06


    what you think of Liquid N mixed with slurry. i've DIY aeration in one tank was thinking of putting liquid N down the pipes as they all plastic. Naturally mixer wouldn't be going into tank.



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    #17
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭ [Deleted User]


    https://nots.ie/events/biofarm-2021/

    Worth buying a ticket for this. Lots of farmers on here talking about how they reduced bought inputs and how. Planning to watch it over the next few weeks when I have the time. The Danu project talk will answer your questions i’d say.



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    #18
    SouthWesterly
    Registered Users Posts: 6,456 ✭✭✭SouthWesterly


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118171554#Comment_118171554

    Ploughing destroys the mycorrhizal fungal networks which are needed for the soil biome to be healthy



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    #19
    Markcheese
    Registered Users Posts: 8,428 ✭✭✭Markcheese


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118172522#Comment_118172522

    I assume different ones do different things , but I doubt it'll make much more of any nutrient in the slurry - might make it more available or less volitile - getting it slurry out with a dribble bar will probably makee more impact

    Slava ukraini 🇺🇦



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    #20
    Markcheese
    Registered Users Posts: 8,428 ✭✭✭Markcheese


    Ultimately lads are going to have to decide about going a clover system or not - it looks like higher fert prices are here for a good few years - ( maybe not the current bonkers prices ) ,

    It probably will work for anyone not in the derrigation - but it's going to need planning and a change in grazing .

    Is there going to be an issue with clover seed availability ?

    Slava ukraini 🇺🇦



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    #21
    sandman30
    Registered Users Posts: 107 ✭✭sandman30


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118172522#Comment_118172522

    I was using slurry bugs and reckon they do work, easier to agitate and nitrogen availability, but hard to measure. Have stopped using them. I have to collect a lot of yard rain water into tanks and having watery slurry applied with a trailing shoe makes a bigger difference to N recovery and agitation



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    #22
    K.G.
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 3,034 Mod ✭✭✭✭K.G.


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118173124#Comment_118173124

    My initial thoughts on clover in systems is silage quality becomes key.clover does not like heavy covers and carry over grass during the winter which is happening alot at the moment .also there probaly is a need for a crop like maize with for coping with poor spring growth.



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    #23
    Markcheese
    Registered Users Posts: 8,428 ✭✭✭Markcheese


    But will maize need a fair bit of nitrogen fert in itself ? Or use all your slurry ,? Plus the right site and the right year sometimes .. or if it's silage from an outfarm could red clover work - a lot more cutting , but that could suit with zero-grazing .. ( mind you that could probably work just as well with a white clover let - and a bit more flexible with grazing and oversowing )

    Slava ukraini 🇺🇦



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    #24
    K.G.
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 3,034 Mod ✭✭✭✭K.G.


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118174025#Comment_118174025

    My current thinking is along those lines but to be straight with ye I ve really only started thinking about these things since fert went bananas with a month.



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    #25
    Timmaay
    Registered Users Posts: 11,394 ✭✭✭✭Timmaay


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118174025#Comment_118174025

    You'll escape with less bag N on a crop of maize than say any sort of 3 or 4 cut system, the Maize will hopefully yeild you 20tDM/ha the 4 cut system 16t across the growing year, but the PGR grass system will need near double the N. I got 11ac outblock that I cant graze or plant maize in, almost defo going to go red clover in that. Having said that I already cheaped out last yr and only spread about 100units N and 80 units K across the whole yr (took 3cuts, but 2nd and 3rd cuts were poor), I probably still got 12t out of it, absolutely nothing back on it since last cut in mid Sept, ground is definitely hungry now ha.



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    #26
    degetme
    Registered Users Posts: 767 ✭✭✭degetme


    Lads, is pig slurry OK to spread on ground cow's will be grazing applied by dribble bar?? Was thinking of using pig slurry in response to high fertilizer prices for next year



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    #27
    Markcheese
    Registered Users Posts: 8,428 ✭✭✭Markcheese


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118177878#Comment_118177878

    If you can get it ... Is there much paperwork attached to that , ?

    Slava ukraini 🇺🇦



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    #28
    degetme
    Registered Users Posts: 767 ✭✭✭degetme


    Don't know anything about it. Maybe someone on here might know more?

    I presume the tillage men get 1st shot at it given they take a share of it over the years



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    #29
    893bet
    Registered Users Posts: 8,739 ✭✭✭893bet


    It will be hard got next year. And it won’t be free like it used to be.



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    #30
    degetme
    Registered Users Posts: 767 ✭✭✭degetme


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118181919#Comment_118181919

    What was the story with it this year



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    #31
    sandman30
    Registered Users Posts: 107 ✭✭sandman30


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118181919#Comment_118181919

    I doubt you'll have to pay for it. I was getting mushroom compost delivered for free last week and that is a lot more valuable than pig slurry.



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