PDA News
The PDA publishes both technical News items and shorter Blog items. PDA News provides the latest up to date information on macronutrients and their use, while blog items are shorter and timelier.
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P & K for wholecrop cereals
With the arrival of the new Nutrient Management Guide (RB209) from AHDB, the Wholecrop Cereal recommendations for Phosphate and Potash have been included. In the past, in the absence of good information on Wholecrop generally, advisers have often used “grass for silage” recommendations instead, reflecting the greener nature of under-ripe cereals cut for Wholecrop silage. […]
August 2017
Maize and rye for AD plants
With the huge increase in area producing forage maize and rye for anaerobic digesters, it seems timely to remember a couple of the nutrient issues that arise which can be different from normal growing practice. Firstly, harvesting often occurs earlier with the crop being greener than for normal animal feed purposes. The implication being that […]
August 2017
P & K calculator revised for 2017
With the arrival of the new AHDB Nutrient Management Guide (RB209) and its revised values for P & K offtakes, and the inclusion of more crops, we have updated our P & K Calculator accordingly. The P & K Calculator is a free tool for farmers and crop nutrition advisors in England, Wales and N […]
June 2017
AHDB Nutrient Management Guide (RB209)
AHDB have just launched their new Nutrient Management Guide (RB209). It is a revision of the Defra Fertiliser Manual (RB209) and it can be viewed or downloaded to your computer from their website www.ahdb.org.uk/rb209. Also, there is an App for mobile devices. Hard copies can be requested by e mail to cereals.publications@ahdb.org.uk. It is supplied free […]
June 2017
Nutrient Management Guide (RB209)
AHDB have just launched a full revision of the 2010 Fertiliser Manual (RB209), which is now called the “Nutrient Management Guide (RB209)”. It can be viewed or downloaded to your computer from the AHDB website, or to your mobile device as an App. Hard copies can be requested by e-mail from AHDB. It is supplied free of […]
May 2017
Second cut silage: potash and sulphur
When cutting grass for 1st cut silage, with a view to getting a 2nd cut, there is an urgent need to get the fertiliser on for the regrowth right away, while the soil is still damp, to feed that growth. Some say that silaging the field is not complete until the fertiliser is on for […]
May 2017
Low soil P & K indices – Do they matter? Yes!
The British Survey of Fertiliser Practice (Defra) shows that since the 1980s rates of Phosphate & Potash fertiliser applications have declined by 1/3 in arable crops, and 2/3 in grassland. With the increase in yields achieved in that time, there is a serious deficit in the P & K being applied from fertilisers, which is […]
March 2017
Forage maize – phosphate & potash offtakes
With the huge increase in growing forage maize to feed anaerobic digesters, especially in the arable areas of Eastern England, it seems appropriate to consider the harvested offtakes of phosphate and, especially, the high amounts of potash removed.
December 2016
Soil sampling and different methods of arable cultivation
Soil sampling for the routine measurement of P, K, Mg indices and pH is familiar to most advisers and farmers, with the same well-proven method used for many years. But how are things different where minimum cultivation is practised?
December 2016
Crop nutrition assignment by Melissa Gorst of Newcastle University
This year we sponsored the Crop Nutrition essay at Newcastle University and Melissa Gorst, a 2nd year agricultural degree student, won our prize with this essay.
August 2016
Optimising potash use on cut grassland
Grass cut regularly, as silage, haylage or hay, removes very large amounts of potassium (K). Unless this is replaced, soil K concentrations will fall. In recent years there is evidence of an overall increase in the number of grassland soils below target index (2-), as well as a decline in the use of potash fertiliser. This situation is not sustainable and grass yields will fall unless corrected.
April 2016
How we apply potash
Having worked out the rate of nutrient potash required for a crop or grass, and considered the timing of the applications, we now have to select a suitable fertiliser product or other source, such as organic manures, to apply to the soil or crop. Then we have to apply it effectively to suit the crop being grown.
January 2016