Nitrogen, Sulphur, and tissue testing
Our western area agronomist Andrew Stilwell covers some key testing areas for your crops this growing season.
Nitrogen and Sulphur testing
The exceptional rainfall throughout the Autumn and Winter so far has not only caused extreme difficulties with field work, there may well be further problems which will affect fertiliser programmes when spring growth starts and applications begin.
The foundation of any nutrition programme is knowing what is already present in the soil, and any crop that may be growing in the field so testing in the late winter for both soil and crop tissue is a vital starting point. It is widely known that excess rainfall and the following drainage can leach away Nitrogen from the soil but is less commonly known that another important nutrient, Sulphur, can be leached away just as easily.
To establish an accurate soil Nitrogen status (SNS) a deep core soil test is required which uses measurements gathered from three soil horizons, 0-30 cm, 30-60 cm and 60-90 cm. These can then be interpreted into an SNS figure on which Nitrogen applications and total quantities can be based. It is also worth noting that a soil N test is also a recommendation under NVZ regulations and various other good practice guidelines. In some circumstances the results may come back as you expected them to and there will be no adjustment necessary to your plans, but you will have the satisfaction of knowing this before you start, especially if there is a history of manure applications or if the field has recently been cultivated after a long term grass ley.
The test for Sulphur is taken using the same sampling method as you would for standard soils, cores collected using a W pattern. However, you only need to sample by soil type across the farmed area, so a small number can establish an accurate picture to build your programme on.
Using approved contractors we can offer a fully mechanised service for deep N testing including analysis and interpretation.
Tissue testing
Along with the major nutrients it is also equally as important to establish the health of any crop that may be growing. Micronutrients have to be in balance to ensure an efficient metabolism and maximum utilisation of any nutrients applied, resilience to weather conditions and rapid spring growth. A plant tissue test is an easy way of establishing that this balance is correct, and gives us the ability to rectify any deficiency before it becomes apparent. Prevention is better than cure.
For further details on both nitrogen and sulphur testing, including costs, please contact the fertiliser department on 01243 755630 or email fert@bartholomews.co.uk