Yield graph

As part of the AICC Crop Nutrition Club 2022, this on-farm winter wheat trial compared N rates from 150 to 250 kg/ha, including the N rate recommended by the Yara N tester. The trial was facilitated by a local AICC advisor, with support and Agronomics yield map analysis from ADAS.

Results summary: Yield increased from the lowest N rates (150 and 160 kg/ha) up to 190 kg/ha, but there was little difference between rates from 190 to 250 kg/ha. However, the yield increase from 150 to 190 kg N/ha was only about 0.6 t/ha, which given the high N prices in 2022 was not enough to justify the additional fertiliser costs: gross margin was best at the lowest N rates.

This result is in keeping with the results of other N rate trials in 2022, which all found lower optimal N rates than usual. This is thought to be because the mild, dry winter increased mineralisation and reduced leaching such that soil residual N levels were higher than usual at the end of winter.

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ADAS provides ideas, specialist knowledge and solutions to secure our food and enhance the environment. We understand food production and the challenges and opportunities faced by organisations operating in the natural environment

Nitrogen is required annually by most crops (except pulses) to achieve yield and quality. Judging how much N to apply is a key part of nutrient management.

  Supporting farmers with robust design and analysis of on-farm experiments in tramline trials.

AICC member agronomists are now the preferred source of advice on over 2.2 million hectares, which is almost half of the UK’s arable land, and the demand for it is stronger than ever

Farmers, advisors and researchers working together to understand and improve crop nutrition on-farm

AICC Advisors and farmers testing appropriate nitrogen rates and strategies for reduction in light of current high prices.  Brought together by the FarmPEP FIP project