|
|
Slurry has for many
farmers become a difficult material to handle and costly to apply. There
are also the associated problems such as grazing resistance following
spring and summer spreading. Application to silage ground between cuts
has exacerbated poor fermentation leading to substandard winter fodder.
This has resulted in a very high proportion of valuable nutrients having
to be applied to crops other than grass(e.g. maize), at a time when most
of the benefits are being lost to the elements.
Research has shown that a typical dairy cow is capable of producing up
to £50 worth of Nitrogen per year, providing it can be applied at a time
when the crop is able to fully utilise it.
|
|
Research has been
carried out by MAFF, ADAS and the Institute of Grassland Research (IGER)
making available very convincing technical data. This supports the regulated
use of slurry with specialist equipment throughout the growing and grazing
season.
Reports have shown that through injection grass production has increased
and 'bought in' fertiliser costs have fallen. Added to this, the little
and often approach reduces the potential risk of 'run off' and eliminates
the possibility of water course contamination.
The injection of analysed slurry is the best way of making use of an under-utilised
resource, reducing the losses of valuable Nitrogen. Tests show that if
slurry is spread on the surface 40% of its ammonium nitrogen content is
lost to the atmosphere through volatilisation. This is important because
40 - 60% of the total Nitrogen content in slurry is in the form of ammonium
nitrogen, so injection can result in considerable savings. Slurry Injection
also protects the environment by reducing both leaching (which can lead
to pollution of water courses) and volatilisation (which can contribute
to acid rain).
This technique reduces complaints from the public about smell, shallow
injection can decrease emission by 50 - 60% and there are major advantages
in terms of less ground compaction.
|
|
