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Know How / Nutrition and fertiliser

Advice, case studies and insights on good nutrient management and fertiliser application for the best crop yields and quality. Get tips on when and how to apply nitrogen fertiliser to keep costs down, how to avoid nutrition deficiencies, problems such as lodging and how to achieve good sulphur levels for healthy soils.

Advice and tips

NUTRITION AND FERTILISER

7 tips to make fertiliser go further this spring

While many farmers have already purchased fertiliser for this season, there will be some who haven’t been able to do that, whether it’s because of storage restrictions, cashflow or other…

NUTRITION AND FERTILISER

Advice on gaining a clear picture of soil nitrogen levels

With some uncertainty about how much residual nitrogen is in soils, growers are being urged to consider getting fields tested ahead of early fertiliser applications.  Hutchinsons fertiliser and crop nutrition specialist Rob Jewers says there are two…

PEST MANAGEMENT

OSR growers advised to tackle CSFB with early nutrition

Oilseed rape growers are advised to apply a nitrogen-sulphur combination, once conditions allow, to boost spring growth and strengthen defences against pests like cabbage stem flea beetle. Will Oliver, Warwickshire…

NUTRITION AND FERTILISER

How to make the most of phosphate fertilisers this autumn

As margins squeeze tighter, many growers are looking at inputs and considering where to make cuts, and phosphate may be one area of focus. Tim Kerr, head of nutrition at…

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Case studies

NUTRITION AND FERTILISER

How funding is helping farmers with foliar nutrition efficacy

Prolonged conflict in the Middle East is having serious repercussions on fertiliser prices around the world, making Cambridgeshire farmer Tom Pearson’s foliar fertiliser project even more timely. Using home-produced foliar nitrogen,…

CROP MANAGEMENT

How grower varies seed rates and N to lift whole-field output

Wiltshire farmer Matt Fry is using variable seed rates and nitrogen to help maximise returns from each hectare of cropping. Farming 1,600ha of different soil types, ranging from heavy clay…

NUTRITION AND FERTILISER

N-fixing bacteria cuts cost and lifts yield for Cambs growers

Cambridgeshire farmers Stephen and Jon Eayrs added a nitrogen-fixing bacterial endophyte to their winter wheat fertiliser programme last season, with promising results to show for it. The father-and-son team wanted…

ARABLE

How 6 farmers are managing fertiliser use in tight season

With margins tighter than ever, how is the Arable Insights farmer panel approaching fertiliser use in wheat crops this spring? Farmers Weekly asks six farmers across the regions for an…

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Insights

CROP MANAGEMENT

How tech approach lifted ‘field of the future’ margins 26%

A change in approach at Revesby Estate in Lincolnshire saw the “field of the future” deliver a 26% higher gross margin than the farm standard at harvest 2025, in a…

NUTRITION AND FERTILISER

Why micronutrition is essential for nitrogen use efficiency

Understanding how nitrogen is processed inside the plant highlights the crucial role of micronutrition in optimising nitrogen use. Nitrogen assimilation is fundamental to plant development, and depending on the form…

NUTRITION AND FERTILISER

Fertiliser buying advice as Iran conflict squeezes supplies

Disruption in the Strait of Hormuz amid the US‑Iran conflict has stalled one-third of global urea trade, triggering pressure on UK fertiliser supplies. The situation is fluid and volatile, and…

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News

NUTRITION AND FERTILISER

Late N fertiliser still pays for milling wheat, says expert

Late season foliar nitrogen applications to help maintain milling wheat yields and ensure protein specifications are met could still produce a return on investment (ROI) of about 2:1 for growers…

NUTRITION AND FERTILISER

AHDB offers fresh advice with updated RB209 ferts guide

Arable farmers are set to benefit from updated nutrient management guidance designed to help them make the most of organic materials while balancing fertiliser use against cost. The AHDB’s latest…

NUTRITION AND FERTILISER

Don't reduce foliar fertiliser inputs, wheat growers advised

Arable growers should resist the temptation to reduce crop nutrients this spring, with trials suggesting that the application of foliar nutrition can enhance winter wheat yields by more than 0.9t/ha.…

NUTRITION AND FERTILISER

New tech claims to raise crop yields with less fertiliser

A new approach to crop nutrition could deliver higher yields with less fertiliser, by using bespoke compound products formulated using soil or tissue test results. Most fertiliser is applied as…

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Test and reviews

CEREAL DRILLS

New drill options for seed-bed fertiliser

New options for growers wanting to apply dry fertiliser when sowing spring cereal crops take different approaches to delivering the material, either down the same spout as the seed or…

MACHINERY

Spirit fertiliser and seed into place

Growers in Scotland who like to put down some fertiliser with their cereal seed will welcome the  the Spirit Next System Disc Combo (SDC). Using standard components throughout, the SDC…

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Video

NUTRITION AND FERTILISER

Why seaweed is key to biological crop market growth

The global market for biological crop protection products is expanding at a rate four-and-a-half times faster than conventional chemistry.  Valued at $8bn (£5.9bn) in 2020, this figure is expected to…

NUTRITION AND FERTILISER

New slurry treatment fixes N from air to create enriched fert

A novel slurry treatment unit that boosts the nitrogen content of liquid manures, using only air and electricity, aims to help farmers reduce reliance on artificial fertiliser, improve crop performance…

ARABLE

Video: Grower undersows with clover to cut fertiliser costs

A regenerative farmer is experimenting with white clover understories to reduce his nitrogen fertiliser bills and provide additional grazing for the ewe flock. The price of natural gas, a key…

POTATOES

Video: Potato planting races ahead in the Suffolk sunshine

Potato planting kicked off this week on one large Suffolk Breckland estate, with high hopes for the early-maturing crop after it went into the ground in ideal conditions. The light…

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Webinar

ARABLE

Webinar: Combating fungicide resistance

Farmers need to find ways to combat problems in crop protection that are caused by development of resistance to fungicides. Pathogen resistance to fungicides is widespread. This is especially true…

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