West Cornwall kicks in
West Cornwall kicks in
West Cornwall, (square 126) is the first to achieve T-sum 200 this year.
However, taking a look at two other sites, London (square 108) and Shetland (square 133), shows that despite being at opposite ends of the country both are forecast to reach T-200 on Feb 20. Over a 10-year period these areas have both averaged 40 days to achieve T-sum.
But with cold weather making a return this week, progress towards T-200 will continue to be slow in many areas.
Colder, dryer weather will encourage many producers to start putting slurry and farmyard manure on to land, but all should ask whether it is the best way to get the most out of it. By taking account of the nutrient value, as part of the fertiliser planning process, savings can be made.
Consideration should be given to the amount applied and when, but most importantly the type of organic manure used. Typical nutrient values can be found in the new MAFF RB209 Fertiliser Recommendations book, under organic manures, alternatively submit samples for analysis.
Daily updates for Kemira T-sum can be found on farmers weekly Interactive (fwi.co.uk). In addition, this year you can find answers to Frequently Asked Questions about fertiliser timing and look at fertiliser articles from previous issues of farmers weekly.