Nine out of ten dairy farmers can save money on fertiliser costs

Ninety per cent of GB dairy farmers could be wasting money by buying in unnecessary fertiliser, according to the Milk Development Council (MDC).

The finding was revealed during a number of recent MDC dairy business club meetings which looked at slurry and fertiliser management. Taking account of the nitrogen, phosphate and potash in organic manures could save up to £100/ha, they concluded.

Stuart Goodinson, MDC dairy business club manager, said: "It appears many British dairy farmers are still wasting money by applying expensive, bought-in fertiliser.

"Results from these groups show that nine out of ten farms could save money on phosphorus and potassium simply by using what is available on-farm in the form of slurry. Slurry is a hugely valuable source of not just N but P&K as well."

He added: "Finding out what you really need and taking into account existing slurry values therefore makes financial sense – and could save you money."

The groups are an MDC initiative and run in partnership with co-ops and private dairies. The business discussion clubs help farmers and buyers develop business strategies and ultimately maximise returns for producers. Farmers' data is kept confidential within the group.

The four groups were guided by an MDC extension officer - whose job it is to deliver the outcomes of R&D and best practice ideas to farmers - with technical input from independent consultant Mark Tripney. The producers, who were formed into a group by their milk processor, discussed and examined their farms' fertiliser usage to develop cost-saving measures.

"The cost of nitrogen has continued to rise and now sits at about £170/tonne," said Mr Tripney. "Add this to cross compliance issues in Nitrate Vulnerable Zones (NVZ) and the new nutrient and manure management options in the Entry Level Scheme (ELS), and you have the driving forces behind a rethink of fertiliser policy for dairy farmers."

Soil analysis gives a true picture of the nutrient requirement of an individual field and allows producers to develop an accurate fertiliser spreading plan, he explained.

Assessing the quality and quantity of slurry on-farm is also vital to understanding what will be needed in the form of purchased fertiliser.

"Making sure the fertiliser spreader has been correctly calibrated costs, on average, about £150," said Mr Tripney. "But a spreader needs to be 20% off before striping is noticed. Not only does this mean up to 20% of fertiliser could be wasted but there are also problems associated with fertiliser banding on both grazing and silage ground."

Mr Goodinson said that lots of great cost-saving ideas had come out of the fertiliser workshops.

"They allow dairy farmers to pull on each others' experiences, both good and bad, in a candid, confidential environment to work out where their enterprise is, where they want it to be heading, and how it is going to get there."