Video testimonials
Farmers say "Yes" to GrowHow N-Min® & N-Calc
N-Min measures how much Nitrogen a crop will get from the soil - not just what is in the sample at testing but also the additional N that will become available throughout the season.
N-Calc uses the results to calculate optimum Nitrogen rates.
Five farmers who give GrowHow N-Min & N-Calc top marks:
| Philip Bell | ||
| Teddy Faure-Walker | ||
| Richard Payne | ||
| Michael Taylor | ||
| Martin Smart |
(Click on "Play Video" to view Webcast and "Farm Details" to view comments and enterprise summary).
"Common sense just to put the fertiliser on where it's needed."
- Philip Bell
"It's surprising how the N-Min results vary," says Philip. "Some years we put quite a bit less Nitrogen on if it's testing high and, obviously, if it's testing low, we put more on. It seems to work very well. Our yields have got better year on year and the crops seem to be more even."
This year four OSR fields happened to come into the test. The N-Mins varied with the result that application rates were as low as 140kg N/ha in one block and as high as 200kg N/ha in another. "Yields were very good and we didn't see any difference between the low and the high N rates because the reserves were in the soil."
Habton Farms, Great Habton, North Yorkshire | |
Farm Size | 3000 acres up to 11 miles apart |
Cropping | Wheat, OSR, oats, barley, beans and grazing for 400 beef cattle |
Soil types | From sandy loams through to clays |
N-Min samples | 10 samples from same fields every year |
Years with N-Min | 10 |
"The best use of Nitrogen and justification for higher rates"
- Teddy Faure-Walker
Teddy Faure-Walker farms almost 1000 acres in North Hertfordshire under a contract arrangement with his neighbour.
"With the increased cost of Nitrogen we're looking to economise as much as we can," he says. "But obviously we need to make the best use of Nitrogen as well. That's why we use the GrowHow service to take samples in the spring and they are a very good guide."
In common with many eastern counties' farms, the yield potentials at Sandon Bury are pretty high. "For higher yielding crops the rates in RB209 are not sufficient. N-Min means that we are able to increase Nitrogen rates so that crops reach their full potential and prove that we are using the right amounts."
Sandon Bury Farms, Sandon, Hertfordshire | |
Farm Size | 1000 acres |
Cropping | Wheat, OSR, barley, winter or spring beans |
Soil types | Chalky boulder clay |
N-Min samples | 4 to represent previous cropping |
Years with N-Min | 8 |
"Cost savings and evidence that we are using the minimum we can get away with."
- Richard Payne
Richard Payne farms 700 mainly arable acres. He sees compliance and crop assurance benefits to using N-Min and also feels it can help improve farming's image with the public. "If we go down the route of using N-Min we can prove to our detractors that we are using the minimum amount we can get away with."
In some cases that can mean costs savings. Richard has calculated that following the N-Min results last year he was able save £7-£8 an acre in winter wheat by applying 30 units/acre less fertiliser and still achieving his targeted 4 t/acre yield.
Manor Farm, Heathfield, Taunton, Somerset | |
Farm Size | 700 acres |
Cropping | Winter wheat, OSR, winter barley and spring beans |
Soil types | Mainly silty clay loam |
N-Min samples | 2 samples - fields selected based on previous cropping |
Years with N-Min | 4 |
Manures | Used to have beef suckler herd. |
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"Takes the guess work out of fertiliser calculations."
- Michael Taylor
Michael Taylor is Farm Manager for H & D Murray Wells Farming Partnership in North Yorkshire. "N-Min has been very useful in highlighting the differences between soil N levels and previous cropping so that we can then tailor the amount of Nitrogen we apply to optimise yield."
Sometimes the amounts of Nitrogen left in the soil can be surprising. For example after set aside in 2005 there was around 130kg of residual Nitrogen rather than the more usual 80kg. "Without the N-Min results we'd have been in trouble and applied too much," he says. "Equally important N-Min results after potatoes have generally shown much less in the soil than RB209 suggests. As a result we've been able to increase rates to achieve our target yields."
H & D Murray Wells, Ness, North Yorkshire | |
Farm Size | 1500 acres of arable land |
Cropping | Wheat predominantly 1st wheat, barley, OSR, oats, beans, |
Soil types | From sandy loams through to clay loams |
N-Min samples | 4 fields chosen to represent each previous cropping scenario |
Years with N-Min | 5 |
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"Nitrogen targeted efficiently.
Ticks all the right boxes with the Environment Agency."
- Martin Smart
Martin Smart is Arable Manager for P & J Awdry and Son in Wiltshire.
"We use N-Min because of the large variation in soil types that we have so that we can find out what we have available in the ground and what we need to apply to grow the crop."
N-Min has also proved very helpful in situations where manures have been applied. "One of the holdings has had a lot of pig manure over the years. N-Min allowed us to reduce the fertiliser rate and still get the yield."
It also helped when Martin had a visit from the Environment Agency. "I was able to show that I knew what I needed in the way of nutrients to grow the crop and what was available in the ground."
P & J Awdry and Son, Ashton Farms Ltd, Trowbridge, Wiltshire | |
Farm Size | 3000 acres combinable crops on 14 different holdings |
Cropping | Wheat, OSR, winter and spring beans, sunflowers, |
Soil types | Wide range from Cotswold brash to light chalkland to heavy clay |
N-Min samples | 6 fields sampled selected to represent different soil types |
Years with N-Min | 5 |
Manures | Some farms have cattle, one used to have pigs. |
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