Liquid fertilisers: an effective trend

Is the use of liquid fertilisers an efficient instrument or merely a passing fad? This question has been discussed at a seminar in Kemerovo. The event was organised by AgroCentreZakharovo jointly with Horsch and Centre of Advanced Crop Farming.

Proper and timely fertiliser application is the clue to high yields. In this respect, the best technique agronomists can use is the application of mineral fertilisers and chemicals. Nevertheless, the need in more efficient inorganic fertilisation remains critical. Nearly half of the content of granular phosphorus fertilisers is insoluble phosphates, which means that the use of such formulations is not very productive. Up to 60% of yield increase is achieved through the application of soluble forms of phosphates. According to experts, liquid fertilisers can be one of the solutions to this problem.

‘The topic of efficiency of liquid fertilisers is among the central ones for farmers today’, says Maksim Gruzin, Sales Representative of AgroCentreZakharovo. ‘Specialists from Novosibirsk, Tomsk, Kemerovo oblasts and Krasnoyarsk area have come to the seminar to discuss the pressing issue.’

The speakers – Denis Tyurin, Executive Director of AgroCentreZakharovo for Siberian region, Viktor Lorents, Head of the Sales Department of Horsch in Russia, and Dmitriy Sherer, Candidate of Agricultural Sciences, a representative of the Centre of Advanced Crop Farming, — were glad to share valuable information with farmers and eager to answer the attendees’ burning questions. One of them was how to increase production efficiency by means of modern machinery. From this perspective, Horsch always has some solutions to offer competent customers. Among them are the managers of Belostok farming enterprise (Tomsk oblast, Krivosheino district), which operates on the territory of 15,000 ha. It is engaged in crop and dairy farming, stock breeding. The farmland of Belostok is in the risky farming area – it is the northernmost part of the oblast.

‘It is hard to work in our conditions, but we are coping’, says Artyom Yavrumyan, Chief Agronomist of the farm. ‘When it comes to machinery and technology in agriculture, we try to make a careful and informed choice. I’ve come to Kemerovo to keep myself updated with latest developments in the field. Now, I know that it was the right move! I gained new knowledge and I’m quite certain that our next investment will be in Horsch to enlarge the machinery fleet. I liked the trailed sprayers a lot. Horsch is the only company in the world which produces sprayers whose working height is just 35 cm. It is a very impressive characteristic!’

At present, the market is witnessing a huge demand for plant protection equipment, self-propelled and trailed sprayers due to the innovative options they are packed with. For example, the Horsch Leeb AX is a trailed sprayer designed for the middle market segment. It features a Boom Control stabilising system which ensures the operation at the lowest possible working height. The properly designed control centre of the model is equipped with two multi-way valves, which control the suction and the pressure of the implement respectively. The high induction output makes for quick and thorough dissolution of powders and granular material.

‘We use liquid fertilisers on our farm’, continues Artyom Yavrumyan. ‘Their efficiency is the highest – they get to the plant roots quicker and ensure almost full nutrient uptake. Liquid fertilisers increase yields and their quality, which is a big issue for us. We use KAS-32 (a carbomide-ammonium mixture). Last year, we applied 350 tonnes of it, while in the coming season, we are planning to distribute 450 tonnes of the formulation. And, of course, we are hoping for a decent harvest this year.’

For the specialists of Roshchupkin farming enterprise (Kemerovo oblast, Leninsk-Kuznetskiy district) liquid fertilisers are also the first option. The seminar organised by AgroCentreZakharovo has become a source of valuable information for the head of the farm. He was certain about the high efficiency of liquid fertililsers before, at the event, he learned a lot of useful information about Horsch machinery.

‘From our experience of using liquid fertilisers on the farm, we know that their application brings half a tonne more of a crop per hectare’, emphasises Ivan Roshchupkin. ‘With solid fertilisers, there is no increase in yields. The choice is obvious. However, we keep on searching for the ways of making our work even more productive. From this perspective, we want the Horsch Sprinter 15NT to become our helping hand. For a long time, we had been interested in the machines of this brand. Recently, our enterprise purchased one and now, we are waiting for it to be delivered.’

The Horsch Sprinter 15NT is used for direct seeding in the areas with a continental climate. The model can boast an innovative design of the seed coulter, which ensures precise control of the depth of seed and fertiliser placement. The machine enables the operator to do the job quicker. It helps to achieve regular emergence and a higher shoot survival rate.

‘The determining factor in our choice was the fact that the hopper of the implement has got an in-built tank for KAS (liquid fertilisers)’, continues Ivan Roshchupkin. ‘We need manoeuvrable machinery, whose work can benefit the quality of sowing and the overall efficiency. We know that we can trust Horsch!’

Summing up the results of the seminar, its participants unanimously decided that trends can deliver efficiency if you opt for reliable machinery and the right agricultural technologies.