Environment – Speeding up the process of getting your fertiliser shopping list – Teagasc

The introduction of the National Fertiliser Database, along with changes to the Nitrates Action Plan (NAP), has seen more farmers seeking advice when it comes to knowing their compliance limits and what fertiliser products they can purchase this year.

Speaking a part of the Teagasc Virtual Soil Fertility Conference, Teagasc Environment Specialist, Tim Hyde said: “At the moment, there is an awful lot of requests from farmers looking for fertiliser plans.”

Some of the changes contained with NAP mean that tillage lands with no valid soil samples will automatically be classified as phosphorous (P) index 4. On farms where the grassland stocking rate was above 130kg of N/ha in 2023, the same classification is in play; where no valid soil samples are available, a P index of 4 is also assumed. For both scenarios, this means that no chemical P and no imported organic P can be brought onto the holding, Tim explained – adding a layer of complexity to fertiliser planning for the year ahead.

As a result of these changes, farmers are now seeking advice – particularly those who traditionally imported organic manures – on how much they are allowed to bring in earlier this year.

For farmers seeking such information, Tim mentioned two outputs from Teagasc’s Nutrient Management Planning software – a full Nutrient Management Plan or a Fertiliser List. The latter can be obtained relatively quickly, provided the farmer compiled the necessary information before seeking in have it completed.

The background information required includes:

• Previous year’s grassland stocking rate;
• Total nitrogen from grazing livestock from the previous year;
• Concentrates fed to grazing livestock over the previous year;
• Land area this year;
• Soil samples results, if available:
• Where soil samples are available, hectares of land at P index 1, 2, 3 or 4;
• Where organic manures will be spread;
• Check organic matter later for high organic matter soils (>20% OM).

By completing the Fertiliser List, farmers can get a total N and P allowance for their farm. It is simple to use and provides farmers with a shopping list of fertilisers they can purchase, while advice can also be given on what fertilisers can be used to reduce emissions.

However, as opposed to a full Nutrient Management Plan, it does not provide field specific advice, advice on lime, takes no account of soil type and tillage farms need to take into account N indices.

Time noted that the Fertiliser List is a starting point and farmers tend to seek more detailed information through a Nutrient Management Plan to devise fertiliser plans on a field by field basis after the initial plan has been completed.

For more information on Nutrient Management Planning, watch a recording on Tim’s presentation at the Teagasc Virtual Soil Fertility Conference here.

Also read: When should you apply early nitrogen?

Also read: How much fertiliser can I buy?