Spring fertiliser season: How dairy farmers can maximise value from self-spreading

Precision self-spreading fertiliser can help dairy farmers keep costs down. Photo / Heather Claycomb

With spring fertiliser season under way, more dairy farmers are expected to turn to self-spreading to help keep costs down, according to Precision Farming’s head of sales, Aaron Wilson.

Wilson has farmed all his life and now owns a 900-hectare self-contained dairy operation in Northern Southland.

He said he knew first-hand the challenges faced by dairy farmers, who were trying to “do more with less” this season to protect the bottom line.

This was not just for the immediate future, he said.

“We all know the decisions we make this season will have implications for the next.”

Wilson expected more dairy farmers to be self-spreading this spring and anticipated that application volumes would be down.

“If that’s the case, what they do put on needs to be done well to maximise returns and minimise wastage.”

If dairy farmers were self-spreading, Wilson said there were a few important things they could do to ensure they got the best value for their efforts.

Timing

Timing was the key to farming, and that applied to self-spreading too, Wilson said.

“Monitor the timing of your applications and do what suits your unique farm system.

“Being just four or five days ahead of livestock can make a significant difference in ensuring optimal results.

“As always, weather conditions will play a crucial role.”

Accuracy

Precision will be more important than ever when applying fertiliser this spring.

Wilson advised that farmers used GPS guidance to ensure consistent and precise spreading, reducing wastage and optimising coverage.

“Even if you can make a 5-10 per cent saving just by applying your fertiliser more accurately, why wouldn’t you?” he said.

“Overlaps and underlaps can make a big difference. There is also the opportunity cost from spending time in the paddock but not optimising fertiliser placement to grow grass properly and wasting it.”

Using any GPS guidance to help with self-spreading improved the accuracy of application and helped get more consistent placement, he said.

“This will be important too if you have different members of your team self-spreading with different abilities.

“For farmers who don’t already have a GPS system in their tractor, there are some great free apps available, which can save time and money.”

Calibration for Efficiency

Wilson encouraged farmers to spend time calibrating their spreading equipment.

“Even with older spreaders, you can use a simple method of calibration by measuring output over a specific distance.”

This helped fine-tune the spreading process for better results, he said.

“Check your spreader and make sure that it’s actually fit for purpose before you head out into the paddock.”

Wilson said this didn’t have to be an expensive exercise.

“You can easily and cheaply calibrate the application speed by getting an ice cream container and driving the spreader along and see what flows out the belt.

“Weigh it and then you can extrapolate out the volume to calculate your application rate.”

Precision Farming Head of Sales, Aaron Wilson.

Handling fertiliser

Minimising the handling of fertiliser helped maintain its quality and ballistic performance, Wilson said.

Crushed or deteriorated fertiliser may not spread evenly, leading to inconsistent results.

“Ideally, you don’t want to handle the product too much, especially Urea - it will deteriorate and won’t spread so well if it’s been crushed a lot by driving around on a loader.

“And if you’re going to do maintenance mixes or phosphate mixes, then you definitely want to make sure you select a brew that isn’t going to deteriorate if it’s sitting around for a few days waiting for you to spread it.”

Recording and data management

Keeping accurate records of fertiliser applications is crucial, not just for compliance purposes but also for informed decision-making to maximise your investment.

Wilson suggested leveraging GPS systems for record-keeping and integrating these records into digital platforms for easy accessibility and analysis.

“Traditionally, we’ve all used notebooks we keep in our pockets or a hard copy of a map at the cow shed,” he said.

“Having this proof of application data in digital form will make N-cap reporting easier because it’s easily transferrable.”

This also saved time manually re-entering data and prevented it from getting lost or destroyed, Wilson said.

“If your map goes through the wash or falls into a trough, then what do you do?”

And if farmers already have a GPS guidance and tracking system in their tractors, Wilson encouraged them to get it connected with their fertiliser co-op.

“A record of what you put where will automatically be sent back to your co-op.

“It will make life easier for N-Cap and when it comes to developing your Freshwater Farm Plan, which all farmers need to have in place by 2025.”