Arable


Liquid fertiliser increasingly appealing for growers


• More 36m boom sprayers on-farm • Simple and labour effi cient system • Better use of machinery fi xed costs


I


ncreasing numbers of larger arable farms in East Anglia are set to benefi t from liquid


fertilisers this spring. The approach not only makes


better use of existing spraying equipment, it can also cut down on labour and justify investment in wider, more cost-effective tram- line systems, says COFCO Inter- national UK fertiliser sales man- ager Russell Davison. “We’ve seen growing interest in liquids over the last fi ve years largely driven by growers’ am- bitions to improve effi ciency of farming practices and get more out of increasingly expensive ma- chinery fi xed costs”, he says.


Opportunity “A lot of people are now want- ing to move to 36m sprayers to improve work rates and reduce wheelings in an attempt to min- imise soil damage and the oppor- tunity to make full use of liquid fertilisers is an important part of the decision-making process.” Using liquid fertiliser can also make the most of self-propelled sprayers. With a variety of differ- ent tank sizes on offer, liquid fer- tilisers are also easy to store on farm. Application is accurate and they can be applied in a variety of weather conditions. Ipswich producer Peter Stew- ard will be using liquid fertiliser


for the fi rst time this spring at Walnut Tree Farm, Henley, Ip- swich. Having used a 36m spray- er for some years and recently taken on additional land away from the main farm, it seemed the right time to do so, he explains. “I needed a low cost way of get- ting into the system so the con- cept of tank rental appealed to me considerably and as I’m pret- ty much a one man band, the sim- plicity of the approach looked like it could really deliver benefi ts for me.”


Guaranteed quality Working with COFCO and Great Yarmouth liquid fertiliser manu- facturer Brinefl ow, it was decid- ed that two products – NitraSol N28 and N22-12.5SO3 – would be most suitable to Mr Steward’s 312ha of feed wheat, oilseed rape and sugar beet.


NitraSol N28 is a straight Nitrogen product with N22- 12.5SO3 adding vital sulphur. All Brinefl ow products are tri- ple fi ltered – during production, in storage and at despatch – to guarantee quality with a range


Nutrients in liquid form have many advantages, says Russell Davison


of options to cover all crop needs, including foliar magnesium ap- plications. Mr Davison was able to pro- vide advice on tank location. “It’s important that people making the move to liquids have the confi - dence to do it and this involves support at all key stages but for many, it’s much easier than they think,” he says.


MPs launch sugar sector inquiry


Liquid fertiliser tanks must be carefully located 8 ANGLIA FARMER • MARCH 2018


MPs have launched an inquiry to examine how the UK sugar in- dustry will be affected by Brexit. With a total import demand of 613,000 tonnes of sugar per an- num, the UK supplies 60% of its total demand with domestically grown sugar beet, 15% from EU sugar beet and the remaining 25% from imported sugar cane. The effect of Brexit on the sug- ar industry – and the options for an optimal trade policy surround- ing sugar – is being examined by MPs on the House of Commons Environment Food and Rural Af-


fairs Committee. Committee chairman Neil


Parish said: “EU regulations cur- rently support farmers growing sugar beet in the UK and give preferential access to less devel- oped markets. As the UK leaves the EU, these regulations will change.”


The committee is examin-


ing the challenges and oppor- tunities faced by the UK sugar industry from any new trading arrangements. This will include any post-Brexit opportunities for export for the UK sugar sector.


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