Prepare for the 2023 season with soil analysis

Farmers across the UK have faced considerable challenges over the last year. An incredibly dry spring followed by drought and high temperature across the summer delayed and then rapidly accelerated crop maturity, causing a hurried harvest.

Making sure you’re ready for the 2023 season now can make all the difference to where you end up.

Sajjad Awan, NRM’s Soil and Crop Nutrition Agronomist, asserts that, despite these challenges, yields were good for the majority of growers across the country.

© Cawood Scientific

This crop year, however, it will be harder than ever to maintain yield without robust laboratory analysis.

“We are lucky to have had a really good autumn season,” says Sajjad. “It has been dryer than usual, meaning that most of the crops have established well despite initial challenges.

“However, as we never really know how the weather will affect our crops, so far this isn’t the most pressing issue. From an economic perspective, growers have found it tough with soaring fertiliser and fuel prices that don’t seem to be evening out.

“So, to establish the most resilient and fertile base for our crops for the 2023 season, we must look at the overall picture, balancing crop needs with economic considerations. The best way to do this is to know definitively what’s already in the soil with expert laboratory analysis.”

Rory Geldard, NRM’s Commercial Manager, believes you can take the stress out of managing fertiliser costs with soil mineral nitrogen analysis. “NRM’s comprehensive soil mineral nitrogen measuring package, N-Check, is designed to optimise crop production whilst protecting you against volatile fertiliser prices,” he says.

“It assesses how much nitrogen is left in the soil after Winter, so you can determine how much fertiliser you need to apply in the Spring. With prices where they are now, it’s definitely worth getting your soil checked to see where you’re at before you spend money on unnecessary applications.”

NRM has offered its long-established Min-N service to arable farm businesses for nearly two decades. Its updated soil mineral nitrogen service is available as two options: N-Check and N-Check Plus. N-Check builds upon Min-N by adding a total value for the combined sample depth.

N-Check Plus offers a complete solution for growers looking to assess their Soil Nitrogen Supply (SNS), and includes the standard N-Check service, organic matter to estimate mineralisable nitrogen, Spring crop N to determine the SNS, and SNS index based on RB209 guidelines.

“Both tests come with an updated analysis request form, a supporting document on collecting samples and submitting to NRM, and technical details explaining the results,” continues Rory. “This will help farmers submit their samples quickly and easily, resulting in the ability to make insightful decision-making in time for the coming season.”

Why should I test soil mineral nitrogen?

As the key building nutrient for all crops, nitrogen is responsible for the rapid growth of foliage, plays an important role in photosynthesis, and influences vegetative growth. When there’s a deficiency, you’ll often see stunted crop growth, yellowing of leaves, and weakness during fruiting and flowering, resulting in lower yields.

Measuring soil mineral nitrogen to gather accurate, insightful data enables you to identify any deficiencies and plan ahead to help you withstand challenges for the upcoming season.

“Whilst nitrogen fertiliser can be applied to avoid deficiency, with ongoing price hikes, it’s worth checking whether your soil really needs it,” says Rory. “Prices are at £870/t, and have been for a while, but this season farmers will really be subject to these costs.

“This time last year, many farmers had already ordered fertiliser the previous year at lower prices, so the cost impact wasn’t really seen last season. This time, they will have no choice but to pay a premium if they need it, so it’s worth checking before overspending.

“Ultimately, analysing soil mineral nitrogen helps farmers manage their soils to their optimal potential and provides all the relevant data to help them save money.”

Only a couple of years ago nitrogen fertiliser cost around £280/t, or £0.80p/kg. Now, it’s around £2.50/kg. If N-Check or N-Check Plus identifies 10kg N/ha additional nitrogen, growers can save around £200 per field, showcasing the importance of accurate analysis.

Determining nitrogen levels and not applying more fertiliser than is necessary also lowers nitrate losses and greenhouse gas emissions, helping reduce carbon footprints and protect the environment.

“Going into this growing season, analysing soil mineral nitrogen levels is really important,’ says Sajjad. ‘Recent intense rainfalls in some parts of the country could have washed away a lot of the nitrogen that was left over after harvest. N-Check is an invaluable tool to help us know, instead of estimate, how much is left.”

Calculating soil mineral nitrogen levels is also important for nitrogen use efficiency. Determining how much nitrogen remains in the soil after harvest helps growers adapt nitrogen applications to ensure they do not spread more than required, resulting in better efficiency, profitability, and sustainability.

“Usually farmers plan their nitrogen applications in late December or early January, and carry on applying until late Spring,’ says Sajjad. ‘It’s important not to stick rigidly to your initial management plan but to adjust it along the way according to weather conditions, crop establishment, and expected yield.

“Scouting your fields regularly, taking representative samples for analysis, and then adapting nitrogen applications accordingly, will improve nitrogen use efficiency and help you increase yield.”

Informed and careful nitrogen planning doesn’t just help farmers boost productivity and save money. It’s also a useful tool for lowering carbon footprints as applying only what is needed reduces nitrogen pollution.

“More accurate applications of nitrogen fertiliser will help UK agriculture be more sustainable in the long term,” says Sajjad. “If you apply more fertiliser than the crop needs, nitrogen can pollute water courses through nitrate leaching.

“Reduced applications also result in less nitrous oxide being released into the air, which makes up a significant amount of emissions from a farm. Every kilogram of nitrogen you don’t use means you are reducing 3.5kg of CO₂ emissions.”

Farmers may also want to lower their carbon footprint to help them take advantage of voluntary carbon markets. Taking all this into account, sustainable farming practices help reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere whilst improving productivity and profitability.

What other soil tests should I take to prepare for the coming season?

Soil mineral nitrogen isn’t the only factor to consider when preparing for the coming season. If the land is due for standard soil testing (P, K, Mg and pH), then farmers can send in samples to the laboratory as soon as conditions allow.

Getting an update on these values for informed soil management decisions will help growers make sure their crops establish well to help them tolerate stress throughout the year.

“What some growers may not realise is that they can use the same sample that they took for standard soil analysis and use it for additional testing, such as soil organic matter or carbon testing,” explains Rory.

“This will save you a lot of time as you don’t have to sample more than once. Booking in multiple tests actually makes the whole process even easier. Undertaking a wide variety of analyses gives you a more comprehensive view of your soil to help you make the best decisions possible.”

Additionally, if farmers are planning to add organic matter by applying livestock manure, it’s important to remember the nutrient benefit of these materials.

Analysis of livestock manures and organic materials is critical if they are to be used efficiently and the nutrients fully utilised by the crop. NRM can test manures and slurries to help farmers take them into account when nutrient planning.

“We’ve seen huge variations in the nutrient values of the manures and slurries we receive,” says Rory. “We recently examined our cattle manure results and found that, looking at NPK content and based on a 20t/ha application, the value of that manure in nutrient terms ranges from £100 to a staggering £3,380.

“The main takeaway here is that there’s never been more worth in manure applications due to high prices, and so never a better time to know what’s in it.”

Whilst soil organic matter and active carbon testing are excellent indications of soil health, grain testing can also be used to get a better understanding of nutrient removal from last year’s harvest.

NRM’s CropCheck service is the first plant tissue analysis package to monitor crop growth stages through the season so that growers can take rapid remedial action if required.

“By utilising these soil and tissue tests throughout the year,’ concludes Rory, ‘you can get a well-rounded view of your soil’s health with robust, insightful data. This is what will set you up for success next season.”

Set yourself up for success with NRM

NRM is the UK’s largest provider of agronomic analysis for the land-based industries for improved farm productivity. You can order any of NRM’s tests through your agronomist or by contacting the company directly at www.cawood.co.uk/contact.