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Restrictions on slurry spreading will end this incoming week for farmers in counties located within zones A and B.
Restrictions on slurry spreading for farmers in zone C, and Northern Ireland, will remain in place up to 1 February. When it comes to early season slurry applications, outlined are five tips to keep in mind.
1. Make safety a priority
Working with slurry is dangerous, from gases released when mixing tanks to operating tankers, so always keep safety in mind.
As weather windows can be short, rushing to get slurry out is when accidents are more likely to happen.
Slurry gases are most potent during the first 10 minutes of mixing tanks. Remove cattle directly above tanks, being careful to move heavily pregnant cows or bulls close to finishing.
When leaving the yard to empty the tanker, always cover openings to slurry tanks. The same goes when leaving mixing points to tend to other jobs.
Keep children and pets well away for slurry tanks when mixing and operating machinery.
Ensure the PTO shaft on the tanker is covered with a safety chain keeping the guard in a stationary position. Always disengage the PTO when switching the vacuum pump from fill to spread.
Make sure the tractor can handle a full tanker and brake safely under load. Front weights may help with ballast. Tyres on the tanker should also be in good order.
Check all lights work on the tractor and tanker are working and be careful when spreading on sloped ground.
2. Complete any soil tests before slurry spreading
If you have plans to reseed fields in late spring, or need soils sampled for fertiliser records, then do so before heading out with slurry this spring.
3. Which fields should be targeted for slurry?
Target paddocks with low grass covers for early season slurry, as these swards will not be ready to graze until late March or early April.
That gives plenty of time for slurry to be washed in and kick start growth. Do not spread slurry on medium or heavy grass covers.
These swards will be needed for spring grazing. Slurry will delay turn out and lead to poor utilisation. Graze these fields first, then apply slurry.
If there is the option, target silage fields with slurry over grazing swards. Silage removes a lot of P and K from soils and as slurry is high in both elements, it replaces nutrients offtake.
Not all slurry has the same fertiliser value. Cattle on high concentrate diets produce slurry with a superior nutrient content than dry cows on a silage only diet.
Therefore, target the higher value slurries to silage swards and fields low in P and K. Tanks with lower value slurry can be used to maintain soils with higher P and K levels.
4. Leave a gap between slurry and chemical fertiliser applications
If there are plans for early slurry and chemical nitrogen applications on the same sward, leave a gap of at least one week between each dressing.
An enzyme reaction can increases nitrogen losses if chemical fertiliser is applied too soon after slurry.
There is also a risk of overloading soils with nitrogen at a time of low grass growth, increasing the rate of nitrate lost in water and atmosphere. Leave three to four weeks between slurry and lime.
5. Spreading rates
Grass growth will struggle to hit double figures during January and February, so heavy applications of slurry in these months offers little benefit.
Instead, a couple of light dressings at 1,500 to 2,000 gallons/acre will make greater use of slurry nutrients. This also lowers the risk of run off into water courses and atmospheric losses.
Low emission slurry spreading equipment will also increase nitrogen availability and reduce the risk of nutrient run-off.
Be mindful of buffer zones in early spring, as the minimum distance from water courses may be greater compared to later in the season.
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