New nitrogen fertiliser provides big benefits over AN

Saving approximately 10% on the cost of his nitrogen was not something that Ian Davey had expected when he switched to a new form of nitrogen fertiliser last year. But since replacing conventional 34.5%N ammonium nitrate with 46%N Koch Advanced Nitrogen® fertiliser on arable and grassland, he has found significant financial advantages and a number of other attractive benefits.

Ian used Koch Advanced Nitrogen® fertiliser for the first time last season on his 450-acre Penquite Farm at Trerulefoot. Approximately half the land is into arable crops, wheat, barley and oilseed rape. The remainder is 160 acres of permanent pasture and 40 acres of leys, mainly Italian ryegrass which is used as a break crop. Wheat is crimped and fed to the beef cattle with any surplus being sold. In addition to grass for grazing, Ian makes around 100 acres of haylage each year.

“Our only significant fertiliser requirement is for nitrogen and in the past we have traditionally relied on ammonium nitrate,” Ian explains. “Although it has some significant shortcomings and is expensive I have always been nervous of using ordinary urea, despite the apparent cost advantages, mainly because nitrogen loss through volatilisation can be significant.

“When I first heard about Koch Advanced Nitrogen® fertiliser it appeared to offer a very interesting alternative to both traditional products. I changed because it provided a lower cost per unit of nitrogen than ammonium nitrate but didn’t suffer as much volatilisation as urea. Last year I used Koch Advanced Nitrogen® fertiliser for the first time on arable crops and grassland and saw no difference in performance, yet the financial savings were considerable.

“My spreader is equipped with a weigh-cell system so I know exactly how much fertiliser has been applied. Wheat received 180 units in three applications, 40-50 in mid- to late February, 70-80 at the beginning of April and the balance at the start of May. Barley received 120 units in two applications.

“The weather during the first part of 2012 was fine and at that stage the wheat was looking the best that I had ever seen it on this farm. We’re not in the right area to set records, but I expect it to average four tonnes an acre. My agronomist agreed that it was an excellent crop, so we knew that the Koch Advanced Nitrogen® fertiliser was doing its job. The weather started to deteriorate at the end of May and although 2012 wasn’t our best year, that was certainly no reflection on the new fertiliser. It surprised us by being both cheaper and performing better than AN.

“On grazing land I have applied Koch Advanced Nitrogen® fertiliser to give 40 – 50 units of nitrogen as and when I feel it is necessary,” said Ian. “Grassland for first-cut silage receives 80 units and we normally cut during the second week of May, which is followed by after-cut fertiliser ahead of the second-cut during the first week of July. Most of this is used to produce haylage, which is a substantial part of the business. We take a third-cut of silage in September.” Koch Agronomic Services advises against livestock grazing on the land until the fertiliser application has been followed by at least 2cm of rainfall.

“Last year I used 29 tonnes of Koch Advanced Nitrogen® fertiliser to evaluate its potential and felt that we achieved the same results as we had been getting from ammonium nitrate, but at about 10% lower cost, so it represents very good value and is more efficient to use,” explained Ian. “Weight-for-weight it contains one-third more nitrogen, so there’s less to store, handle and spread, which are significant considerations. There’s every reason to use and recommend the product, so this year I increased our order for Koch Advanced Nitrogen® fertiliser significantly.”

The key to the success of Koch Advanced Nitrogen® fertiliser is AGROTAIN® nitrogen stabiliser. The proven treatment helps to protect nitrogen so it can remain in the soil and nourish crops whatever the weather.

Extensive UK trials, including DEFRA’s NT26 programme, have proven that the results from using Koch Advanced Nitrogen® fertiliser match those from AN, while spreading trials by specialist UK company SCS Spreader and Spraying Testing Ltd found that it spread as well as prilled AN over 24m. Practical experience shows that some customers have used it successfully out to 32m and beyond.

Graham Carter, Regional Manager for ACT Ltd, which supplies Ian with Koch Advanced Nitrogen® fertiliser, says that farmers in the region have found it to be equivalent to ammonium nitrate (AN) in terms of efficacy, yield and resistance to volatilisation. In addition, it has a range of practical benefits, including the fact that movement, storage and administration are much easier because the product is not subject to the same onerous restrictions as AN.

“Koch Advanced Nitrogen® fertiliser is a very exciting product. Without exception, everyone who purchased it last year has done so again this season. We have doubled the tonnage which we have supplied this year and are confident that demand will continue to increase.”

Spreading Koch Advanced Nitrogen® fertiliser on Ian Davey’s Penquite Farm in Cornwall during March