Make the most of Your Muck

When I say your muck I mean the muck from your stock!  With fertiliser prices still double the price of two years ago, now is a good time to take full account of the FYM and/or slurry applied to your crop, whether it be grass, maize or arable crops.  Applications of muck and slurry can reduce the amount of inorganic fertilisers required, saving you money.  For instance, 2300 gallons of slurry applied per acre will provide 12 kgs N per acre.  The two tables below taken from the latest version of RB209 summarise the levels of nitrogen in various types of FYM and slurry:

The availability of nitrogen will vary depending on how the product is applied and when it is applied.  It is important to take all factors into consideration before deciding how much inorganic fertiliser to apply so that you do not exceed crop requirements or NVZ limits.

For help in putting a Nutrient Management plan together for your farm to maximise the use of your slurry or FYM to reduce your fertiliser costs, contact Phil Cooper (FACTS) on Tel: 07798 673665 or email pcooper@fcgagric.com