Fertilizer Use Survey 2001-2003: Crop Fertilizer Usage on Irish Farms
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This survey provides detailed information on fertilizer usage for grassland and tillage crops on Irish farms between 2001-2003. It includes data on crop area, fertilizer type, application rates, and the effect of soil suitability. The study also explores nutrient usage for different crops and compares it to Teagasc advice.
Fertilizer Use Survey 2001-2003: Crop Fertilizer Usage on Irish Farms
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Presentation Transcript
FERTILIZER USE SURVEY2001-2003 by B. Coulter, W. Murphy, N. Culleton, G. Quinlan and L.Connolly
The Data Source – Teagasc National Farm Survey • Data for 2001-2003 • More than 1200 farms surveyed each year • Survey farms were randomly selected to represent the major farm systems and sizes using information from the CSO Census of Agriculture • Detailed information about fertilizer usage for each crop on the farm
Crop Included Grassland Crops: • Grazing, • Silage • Hay Tillage Crops: • Winter and spring wheat • Winter, spring and malting barley • Winter and spring oats • Potatoes • Sugar beet and fodder beet • Other crops e.g. maize, turnips, kale etc.
Fertilizer Information For Each Crop: • Area of the crop • Number of 50 kg bags used in each application • Type of fertilizer used (91 different compounds) • Up to 11 applications for grass; • up to 6 applications for tillage crops
Main Farm Variables • Farm enterprise • Farm size • Stocking rate • Soil suitability class • Geographic region
Farm Enterprise • Dairying • Drystock farming • Sheep farming • Tillage
Soil Use Class • Farms classified according to their location on General Soil Map (Gardiner and Radford, 1982) • Four groups depending on the range of soil use capability • Soil use class 1 can grow the widest range of crops without limitation • Soil use class 4 contains farms with limited to extremely limited use range.
Representation * 1210 farms in the survey represent 114,000 Irish farms
Regional N, P and K application rates for grazing (kg/ha) * S.E. 5.8 † S.E. 26.1
Dairy fertilizer application for grazing at different stocking rates (kg/ha)
Surveyed N usage and Teagasc N advice for grazed grassland (kg/ha)
P and K usage and Teagasc P & K advice for grazing on dairy farms
Silage • Nutrient usage of N, P and K was 120, 13 and 41 kg/ha respectively. • N use was 13% below Teagasc advice for crops with full use of slurry • P and K use were between advised rates for silage using (a) no-slurry and (b) slurry • Usage declined by 11, 15 and 20% from usage in 2000.
Fertilizer Compounds for Grazing * Typical composition 23:2.5:5
Fertilizer Compounds for Silage * Typical composition 23:2.5:5
High N Compounds: Comparison with 2000 • For grazing, use of high N compounds for N, P and K increased by 12-14% since 2000 • For silage, the increase was 16-18%. • A similar trend was found between 1995 and 2000. • This “little and often” approach is environmentally friendly for P
Winter Barley • Grown only in SE, ME and border regions (32 farms) • Mean N usage was 167 kg/ha • Calculated Teagasc advice is ~ 156 kg/ha • Mean P and K usage were 30 and 71 kg/ha • P & K match Teagasc advice • N usage for increased by 8% since 2000 compared to a 5% drop in national N sales
Spring Barley • Grown in all regions (184 farms) • Mean N usage was 123 kg/ha • Calculated Teagasc advice is ~ 118 kg/ha • Mean P and K usage were 26 and 55 kg/ha • P & K match Teagasc advice • N & K usage increased by 7-8% since 2000 compared to a 5-9% drop in national N sales
Winter Wheat • Grown only in 4 regions (48 farms) • Mean N usage was 203 kg/ha • Calculated Teagasc advice is ~ 172 kg/ha • Mean P and K usage were 23 and 55 kg/ha • P matches Teagasc advice but K is lower • N, P & K usage decreased by 2%, 17% and 31% since 2000
Spring Wheat • Grown only in 6 regions (52 farms) • Mean N usage was 152 kg/ha • Calculated Teagasc advice is 112-148 kg/ha depending on expected yield • Mean P and K usage were 24 and 53 kg/ha • P & K use consistent with Teagasc advice • N usage decreased by 5% since 2000 but P and K increased by 33 and 26%
Compounds for Cereals • N mainly supplied by CAN (some 10:10:20) • P & K mainly supplied by 18:6:12 and 10:10:20 for winter and spring barley, winter and spring wheat
Sugar Beet • Grown only in 4 regions (67 farms) • Mean N usage was 159 kg/ha • Teagasc advice is 100-200 kg/ha depending on summer rainfall and years in ley prior to tillage • Mean P and K usage were 24 and 157 kg/ha • Teagasc P & K advice is 39 and 170 kg/ha • N, P and K usage decreased by 1%, 14% and 5% since 2000
Mean Fertilizer Nutrient Use for Cereal Crops from 1995-2003
Compounds for Roots • Compound used depending on crop • S/A used only on potatoes • No straight P or K used • Very wide variety of compounds used