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💰FERTILISER - THE BIG Q.
As fertiliser costs soar and availability has many anxious about how they will continue to support yields, may be now is the time to sense check that ol' phrase:
🧐" we've always done it like that" .
The soil often has all that you need - it just needs unlocking over a sensible time line.
👉O2 is free; Atmospheric N2 is free; rain is free too ...so how can we tap in to that?
✅ Improve soil structure 🔨
= Soil biology should follow🪱 - the underground fert spreaders
= Drought resistance improves by increasing capture and retention of rainfall💧
= reduction on the reliance of short term synthetics that cause long term reversal of the above (see below)❗
How?
Alleviating soil compaction can reduce fertiliser requirements quite noticeably—but the exact amount depends on how severe the compaction was, your soil type, and how well it’s corrected...and then managed.
Why?
- increased root depths 🌱
- Increased nutrient access as soil biology gets to work mineralising PK that is already present but locked up
- use natural nitrogen from the air to create a form of accessible nitrogen for the plant = reduce the need for fertiliser💨
- reduce application rates by REDUCING WASTE - any fert that is applied can get to the root zone and doesnt run off ( up to 60% can run off compacted soils).
🔰AERATION DOESN'T REPLACE FERTILISER - IT MAKES YOUR SOIL SO MUCH BETTER AT USING NUTRIENTS SO YOU NEED LESS OF IT!
EXAMPLE:
In a grassland setting on a challenging clay base, a reduction in ~ 20 % of fertiliser usage is widely used figure post aeration. This figure may be higher if the soil has good organic matter and good grazing management.
💰What does that mean in terms of fert savings?
If grassland typically uses fert at 200Kg N/ha/yr = saving of 40 Kg N/ha/yr . At £1.20/Kg N = over £48/ha/yr
( At today's price even higher e.g at £1.54/Kg N = £62/ha!)
🐄In a dairy setting if we also consider :
- a conservative grass yield increase post aeration of 10% DM ( (each cow getting extra 600- 1000kg DM / yr )
- increased grazing days = less bought in forage/ bedding costs
-increased milk yield
- reduction in grass loss through poaching
- less the cost of aeration
= a conservative estimate of £100/ cow /yr gain = £10k for a 100 head herd per year. ( stocking rate 2.5/ha)
So mechanical intervention to break the cycle of compaction speaks for itself. Shattering the pan and opening up the soils optimises returns ...for the long term.
The Slot and Shatter of AerWorx does exactly that, with minimal surface disruption to minimise soil contamination and evaporative and carbon losses.
So when it comes to thinking about investing in your soil ....the question is:
🤔CAN YOU AFFORD NOT TO?
16.04.26
