Ensuring your fertiliser application equipment is applying nutrients correctly is a critical part of good management practice.

These guidelines were prepared by LandWISE Inc under Ministry for Primary Industries Sustainable Farming Fund Project SFF 401521 “On-Farm Fertiliser Calibration”. Co-funding was from the Foundation for Arable Research and the Fertiliser Association. Considerable in-kind technical support and review was provided by staff at the Centre for Precision Agriculture at Massey University.

This course describes fertiliser application equipment performance monitoring suitable for farmers applying nutrients with their own equipment. This allows on-farm checks and adjustments to ensure and demonstrate that their own or contracted application equipment is performing to expectations.  These guidelines are supported by a website, www.fertspread.nz, that enables Application Rate and Spread Pattern to be determined.

Ground based application includes a wide range of application methods to apply a vast array of fertiliser products, requiring careful matching of equipment and technique to the fertiliser and production system. Here we cover the two broad types of ground-based spreading equipment:

• Broadcast equipment that spreads fertiliser beyond the width of the machine (including single, twin disc and oscillating spout spreaders)
• Placement equipment where the swath width is equal to or less than the width of the machine (including band spreaders, side-dressers, planters with fertiliser application).

The information here includes information and guidelines that support industry good agricultural practice and schemes such as New Zealand GAP and Audited Self-Management programmes. It can aid the self-audit component of Spreadmark. Because of the vast range of fertiliser application equipment types and technologies, a simple guide to calibration is not possible. Ensure equipment is correctly maintained and serviced and set up according to manufacturer’s instructions. If the performance checks show actual application varies from the intended rate or distribution pattern, follow manufacturer’s recommendations to make appropriate adjustments. Re-check performance after such adjustments are made.

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Optimising your fertiliser strategy is an important part of your farm operation. The rate, type and method of fertiliser application can all impact significantly on the costs and receipts of production. In addition, inefficient fertiliser use can cause off-farm problems that create environmental and human health difficulties. Clearly, developing a sound plan for fertiliser use is going to be good for you and your neighbours.

Choosing the fertiliser programme that best matches your situation is an essential part of any crop production system. This online course introduces you to a running on-farm trials to make that choice with minimum fuss and maximum reliability.

The “On-Farm Trial Guide” is available as a series of booklets from LandWISE Inc. It includes a template that can be applied to fertiliser trials on a wide range of crops. The trial process is broken down into 10 major steps. Following them in sequential order will enable you to plan, establish, execute and analyse a fertiliser trial that you can use to help assess which of two alternative rates of fertiliser application best suits your cropping system.

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