Grassland Fertiliser and Crop Nutrition
Ensuring Optimal Growth & Quality with Grassland Fertiliser
OMEX provides liquid fertiliser for grassland, alongside a variety of crop nutrition and technical services to ensure optimal growth, quality and grassland yield.
Our team of FACTS qualified advisors and crop nutrition agronomists have a wealth of knowledge on grassland, to help guide you on the most efficient grassland fertiliser and nutritional programmes.
Contact our team for expert advise bespoke to your farming needs.
Contact Our Team
Working Towards Sustainable Grassland Fertiliser
As part of our Greener Planet Commitment we’re working hard to provide sustainable grassland fertiliser. We’re here to support grassland farmers in reducing their carbon footprint and farming more efficiently and environmentally sustainably whilst improving their financial sustainability.
There are schemes available for dairy farmers to improve the carbon footprint of their milk. OMEX have been developing inhibitors for over 30 years, that are safe on soils, to reduce the carbon footprint of fertiliser applied to grassland.
DIDINRead how Liquid fertiliser applied to grassland is having a positive impact on silage yield and quality, application efficiency and the environmental footprint of Phil Yeo’s farm.
Demand Growing For Grassland Fertiliser
The Benefits of Grassland Liquid Nitrogen Fertiliser
Nitroflo liquid fertilisers for grassland include some of the most concentrated products available in the UK and Ireland. They are delivered for farmer or contractor application and offer many advantages over conventional solid fertiliser application in terms of accuracy, consistency and ease of use.
By using OMEX Nitroflo or Multiflo liquid grassland fertilisers, farmers save time, protect the environment, and maximise crop yields. All OMEX liquid fertilisers are supplied in bulk, eliminating packaging and the need to recycle waste, and provide major handling and storage advantages over solid fertilisers.
- Post cut or grazing, grass will respond to Nitroflo grassland fertiliser more quickly than granular fertiliser
- Daily gain in dry matter is larger when using Nitroflo
- Even in drought conditions new growth following uptake of Nitroflo grassland fertiliser can be seen within 36 hours
- All the benefits of accurate application still apply in grass
- Nitroflo S contains sulphur in a form that is immediately plant available
- Accurate application up to field margins
- Three sources of nitrogen – ammonium, nitrate and urea – so the best balance between availability to crop when needed and reduced risk of loss through leaching
- Effective across a full range of crops, including grass & forage crops
- No off-loading costs as Nitroflo grassland fertiliser is pumped directly into holding tanks on-farm
- Effective across a full range of crops, including grass & forage crops
- No off-loading costs as Nitroflo is pumped directly into holding tanks on-farm
- No bag disposal
- Faster response to application on silage ground after first cut, especially in dry conditions
- Improved application accuracy. Tests show that application by granular spreader often vary by 20% across the spread width. Farm sprayers are unlikely to vary by more than 5%
- Better utilisation of time and labour – Nitroflo can be applied in less favourable conditions, when applying solid fertilisers or crop spraying would not be possible
- Higher work rates. It takes just a couple of minutes for one person to load the sprayer with Nitroflo
- An opportunity to upgrade sprayer and increase tramline widths, increasing the cropped area, work rates and accuracy of topdressing
Potential Fixed Cost Savings of Liquid Grassland Fertiliser
Perhaps one of the best times for a farmer to consider converting to liquid fertiliser is when the farm sprayer or spreader is due for renewal or tramline widths are increased. It is at these points that there is an opportunity to consider the effective utilisation of labour and machinery and the respective fixed costs.
The Benefits Of Liquid Grassland Fertiliser
Productivity of Grassland Field Margins
Ensuring nitrogen grassland fertiliser is applied at full rate to the edge of the field but no further is a key issue. Despite ongoing advances in spreader design, it is not possible for a spinning disc to apply an even distribution pattern if the operator is to guarantee that no fertiliser travels beyond the edge of the field.
Yield loss from the outside 8m of a field has been shown to be 3.5t/ha of winter wheat and 10t/ha of potatoes when nitrogen is applied through a spinning disc spreader. The outside 8m of a 15ha field represents 5% of the field, creating a large yield and financial loss for the farmer, making the fertiliser operation largely inefficient.
By using Nitroflo, it is possible to apply the full rate of nitrogen right up to the field margin: no compromise to yield, no risk of applying fertiliser beyond the field margin.
View Nitroflo“Liquid N? It’s a “No Brainer”, the best thing I’ve done for a long time. It is taken up more quickly by the crop, a one-man operation, no striping, and more grass per application.”
Mark Jeanes, Lower Bagber Farms Ltd, Dorset. Dairy Farmer.
Liquid Fertiliser compared to Granular Fertiliser on Grassland
The below trial demonstrates the visual impact of utilising granular urea in comparison to liquid nitrogen Nitroflo on grassland:
The New Zealand style grazing dairy unit in Staffordshire applied OMEX Nitroflo S, on the same day as urea on adjoining grazing paddocks. The pictures below, taken at the same time, show the difference in DM production following application of Nitroflo, Liquid Nitrogen.
Silage Grass: The picture sequence below shows a field after second cut silage.
The crop was cut on 16 July, picked on 17 July, then grazed for two days. On 20 July OMEX Nitroflo S was applied at a rate of 112kg/ha (90 units/ac). Despite the drought, uptake of N was very rapid and a visual difference could be seen within two days.
Figure 1 Aug 15
Figure 2 Aug 8
Figure 3 July 28
Figure 4 July 23
Figure 1 Aug 15
Figure 3 July 28
Figure 2 Aug 8
Figure 4 July 23
“I used Nitroflo 26S for the first time this year. ”
I liked the accuracy across the field and no overlapping the ins and outs with auto-shutoff. I noticed far less secondary growth in my spring malting barley compared with what I saw in crops that had solid. I put this down to the more rapid uptake in dry conditions. We also saw fast regrowth on 2nd cut silage. The tank installation guys were very efficient and professional. The fact that the liquid is stored in its own tank is fantastic as it doesn’t take up shed space during the season.
Paul Mernagh, Coolamurry Farms Ltd. Co. Wexford. Farmer.
Liquid Nitrogen on Grassland Trials
Nitroflo v SulfaCAN
The below liquid nitrogen grassland fertiliser versus SulfaCAN trial was conducted in South Tipperary in June 2020. The trial was conducted on two paddocks of Perennial Ryegrass, both reseeded on the same day.
 The results showed after 14 days 53% more grass with less units of nitrogen when Nitroflo was used.
Nitroflo v Protected Urea
This liquid nitrogen grassland fertiliser versus protected urea trial was conducted in North Tipperary in July 2020. The trial was conducted on two side by side paddocks of Perennial Ryegrass
The results showed after 14 days 65% more grass with the same units of nitrogen when Nitroflo was used.
Multiflo Liquid NPKS fertiliser for grassland
NPK fertiliser is important for grassland, providing the crop with key nutrients. Multiflo grassland fertiliser has been technically developed to offer grassland farmers the most effective and readily available nutrition. Growing grassland its important the nutrients applied are instantly available to the crop due to the short cycle of growing in comparison to other crops.
Nitrogen is responsible for stimulating grassland growth and establishment
Phosphorus is key to developing a strong root system, promoting crop growth
Potassium aids strengthening of the grass, promoting health of the growing crop
Multiflo grassland fertiliser has a variety of grades available for optimum grassland growth, demonstrated below, however you should keep in communication with your local FACTS qualified advisor to make sure you’re utilising the best grade for your crop. Get in touch to ask us about the best Multiflo grade for your needs.
Contact Us
In grazing operations grade 14-7-7+S would provide the optimum levels of nutrients for grassland. It provides 60kg of nitrogen, 30kg of phosphorus and 30kg of potassium. This can be followed by an application of Nitroflo liquid nitrogen plus sulphur fertiliser.
View Nitroflo
Crop establishment is key when growing grassland and providing it with a 17-8-0+S grade of Multiflo nitrogen and phosphorus nutrition, within a grazing situation, supplies the crop with 60kg of nitrogen and 30kg of phosphorus.
View Multiflo
The Benefit of Liquid NPKS Fertilisers for Grassland
This trial assessed a Multiflo NPKS grade in comparison to a granular alternative. The liquid nutrition within Multiflo showed a clear increase in Fresh grass yield.
Multiflo liquid NPKS fertilisers offer a number of benefits to grassland farmers:
- Greater accuracy of fertiliser to the crop
- Delivery of product when needed
- OMEX tank system supplies potato farmers with dedicated on-farm storage
- 100% soluble, high quality, P source
- Targeted application
- Sustainable fertiliser choice – application right up to the field margin and not beyond
Multiflo works as a precision farming tool for grassland farmers. Precision Farming Many of the UK’s most innovative precision farmers use liquid fertilisers due to the ease of controlling the application rates and the ability to automatically regulate individual boom sections.
Including Polymex with your Multiflo phosphorus containing grade can improve the availability of phosphorus to the grassland crop.
Including Sulphur in Your Grassland Liquid Fertiliser Application
Sulphur deposition has decreased dramatically over the last 30 years, as a result of the Clean Air Act. Deficiencies of this vital element are now visible in many areas of the UK.
Where deposition is less than 10kg/ha/year most crops will benefit from applications of fertiliser containing sulphur. Responses to sulphur vary according to soil type, with greater responses likely on light or sandy soils.
The level of response is affected by over winter rainfall on loam and coarse silty soils, with high rainfall increasing the likelihood of a significant yield increase. Clay, fine silts and organic soils have a lower likelihood of yield responses, except in areas with medium to high winter rainfall, where there is a medium chance of a yield response.
Promoting root establishment in grassland
Rooting in grass crops can be improved with the inclusion of Kelpak. Kelpak can be applied to grassland in early spring and helps to promote vigorous spring growth. It also reduces die-back in late summer and aids recovery after grazing/cutting.
Kelpak aids in the establishment of new leys and application can be repeated at mid-summer or at re-tillering.
View Kelpak
How much sulphur to apply to your grassland crop
The continued reduction in sulphur deposition means that many rural areas of the UK currently receive less than around 5kg/ha of S from the atmosphere. The following recommendations take this into account. Sulphur deficiency reduces the yield and quality potential of grassland and is exacerbated by high forage removal rates.
Responsive crops require approximately 40kg/ha SO3. Top-dressing with Nitroflo 20+S provides immediately available sulphur to supply the crops needs. Including sulphur in your Nitroflo and Multiflo will help prevent deficiency and promote yield.
Sulphur inclusion in your grassland fertiliser
Biofortification of Grassland Crops
As biofortification becomes a closer reality in UK agriculture, OMEX are committing time and knowledge to offering farmers the most efficient forms of nutrition to fortify the crop. Biofortification is the process of supplying the crop with nutrition to improve the nutritional intake of those consuming it, including livestock.
The grassland crop can be supplied with foliar selenium and foliar magnesium through the OMEX speciality range of nutritional liquid fertilisers. These highly concentrated foliar fertilisers can be used to boost the nutrient composition of forage going directly into feedstock, improving the nutritional health of cattle consuming it.
Talk to us about biofortification.
