Category: Blog

Back in June (2012) it was clear to Will Forrington that something special was needed to keep his potato crops from getting kicked to death by blight or giving up completely should the rain ever eventually stop.

Given the very wet year and the fact that all earlier applied Nitrogen was now washed down the Trent, we decided that Delta nitrogen applied in 5 litre/ha hits with every blight spay would be perfect. Every 7 days that’s what it got and August digs reassured Will he had made the right decision.

Yield digs conducted 23rd Aug 2012 showed an excellant sample of Reds, good even size, good shape and top growth will continue to bulk. The yield in this dig gave a current potential of 15 tonnes per acre (36t/ha).

This picture taken on the 23rd of August 2012 shows the canopy of the Reds. The grower will continue to apply between 3 and 5 litres per ha of Delta nitrogen which will keep feeding and bulking.

This is a another yield dig of Reds in the same field showing a fabulous sample having received NHCa Delta throughout the season with every blight spay at a rate of 5L/ha. Current yeild of 15t/ac Great shape, great skin and finish with excellent uniformity great potential.

On the 5th October 2012 the Delta treated Shannon potato harvest is underway and going is good. The quality of these treated potatoes are excellent. High number of tubers with great skin finish and good uniformity.

The harvested Delta treated Shannon look uniformed and tubers numbers are high.

The finished product; Delta nitrogen treated Shannon reds that have yielded 26 tonnes per acre with good uniformed high number of tubers.

More Reds harvested at Forringtons on Monday 15th October2012, before we had more rain to stop work. These Reds ran at 90 boxes from 3.5acres which is a yield of 26 tonne/ac (64 tonnes/ha). They were planted on 15th May.

These reds were harvested on 15th October, a really cracking 24t/ac crop (59.2tonnes/ha). These were treated with Delta nitrogen fertilizer at a rate of 4L/Ha applied with every blight spay. The crop was planted 16th May and had recieved a base dressing of 219kg of N with no further top dressed N. The saleable yield of this crop was 23.5tonnes /ac (58.4t/ha)

In early August 2012 this crop looked very poor, the canopy was going off and the yield digs gave a 9 tonne prospect and every chance no more growth would come. the grower applied from this point just 2 ltrs per ha of NHCaDelta nitrogen and by the end of August the canopy had improved significantly and the yield digs had moved to 13.2 tonnes /ac.

On 8th September 2012 more trial yield digs were taken and the yield is looking like 15.2t/ac.

After just 4 weeks of applying 2 ltrs/ha with every blight spray of our Delta nitrogen the canopy looked healthy and growing.

Uniformed and even tubers, now the crop is bulking and gone from looking like a 0 t/ac crop to a 15t/ac plus crop.

A different view of the very much improved picture across this Rosetta crop. The Calcium in the Delta may well have helped provide additional health benefits in this year of high blight burden and on these very hungry sandy soils we are delighted to see such a great response to our fertilizer.

Lincolnshire farmer Tim Lamyman has been talking to Farmers Guide this month about how he’s still planning for a strong harvest this summer despite the cold, dry spring, thanks to Bionature. He broke the UK wheat yield record two years ago with a 16.5t/ha crop. Here’s how he’s been working with us this year as he looks to beat the challenging spring and achieve the strongest possible yields.

“By using NKH Delta and 1-4-All products from nutrition company Bionature UK, I have managed to retain enough tillers to maintain the potential for a very high yield. I like to see each plant producing the same number of heads so the crop emerges evenly, develops evenly and matures evenly.”

He then wen’t on to discuss his spraying methods in detail:

“(At T0)…2.5-litres/ha of NHK Delta went on to help meet the crop’s potassium requirement, together with 1-litre/ha of 1-4-All to help keep the process of biomass development going.”

“It never ceases to amaze me just what a difference a few days can make.”

He later applied a futher 2.5-litres/ha of NHK Delta and 1-litre/ha of 1-4-ALL at T1, along with 0.5-litre/ha of Rainbow Wave. Click here to view our full product list.

To read the whole article and Tim’s full spraying programme, pick up a copy of this month’s Farmers Guide and head to page six, or get in touch with us for more details.

Nh Delta is a technology that can be used to improve the performance of nitrogen fertiliser products:

• through reduced environmental losses
• improving energy efficiency
• altering plant growth habit