FERTILISER FACTS FOR YOU
Kevin O’Donnell, College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE), Greenmount Campus
Giving good advice on the use of fertiliser on farm has never been so important.
Advice that leads to inadequate use of fertiliser can lead to poorer crop production. Advice that leads to overuse leads to inefficiencies and may result in pollution. Consequently the farmer could be fined and his Single Farm payment or Countryside Management Scheme payments reduced.
If your business is selling to, and advising farmers on fertiliser use, then you should think seriously about completing training and achieving a Fertiliser Advisers Certification and Training Scheme (FACTS) qualification.
Having the FACTS certificate means that you have the latest knowledge of how soil, fertiliser and organic manures interact to produce a good crop but also contribute to a bio-diverse environment.
The FACTS course covers a range of topics:
- The soil in relation to plant nutrition,
- Organic nutrient sources,
- The nature and properties of fertilisers,
- Factors influencing the amount of fertiliser required,
- The transport, storage and handling of fertilisers,
- Application of fertilisers,
- Protection of the environment.
Barry Read, an agricultural contractor from Lisnaskea, County Fermanagh recently successfully completed the FACTS course. He has been able to use the knowledge he has gained to add value to his contracting services.
He comments “The course has been of great benefit to me. With the greater controls on the amount of nitrogen and phosphorous applied to the land my customers need help to interpret their soil analysis results, their fertiliser choice and usage and the value of their slurry and farmyard manure. As I contract spread granulated lime I can also assist farmers in managing soil pH to maximise soil fertility.
The course has also benefitted me on the home farm. With the cost of artificial fertiliser having rocketed in recent times I can now make better use of the slurry and farmyard manure on both the arable and grassland enterprises”.
The College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE), Greenmount Campus is planning to deliver another FACTS course in late November/early December 2008. If you wish to attend or would like further information please contact Kevin O’Donnell at Greenmount, telephone: 028 9442 6631 or visit the College website at www.cafre.ac.uk/facts![[external site]](extlink.gif)
