Yara’s demonstration plots aim to show how our products and tools are best used to grow high-yielding crops. By using the highest quality products and precision farming tools hand-in-hand, you can increase your nitrogen use efficiency (NUE), thereby increasing your yield; as well as reducing potential negative effects on the environment.

At Yara we continue to provide the best nutritional advice, products and services to assist farmers to grow the best crops possible. At the Cereals site this year we will be demonstrating some of our offerings and comparing Yara best practices to farm standard. The location for the Cereals site for 2024 is Newnham, around 20 miles from Cambridge. The soil at the site is a clay loam, our soil analysis results showed a P index of 3.1, K index of 2.6, Mg index of 2.8 and the pH is 8.2.

Yara’s best practice approach will use our N-tester tool to determine the nitrogen rate, with an aim to increase our nitrogen use efficiency. The plots will consist of Yara’s full nutritional advice for the site, including use of NS grades, as well as key micronutrients. Using the key nutrients required for wheat will ensure that there are no controllable limiting factors to the crop’s growth and will also increase the overall nutrient use efficiency.

The spring barley plots are comparing YaraMila 52S applied in the seed bed, to YaraNature 8-3-3, an organo-mineral fertiliser (OMF). Yara Nature is a new product that is still in development; it aims to provide the key nutrients the crop requires, as well as organic benefits. Alongside the mineral fertiliser it contains, YaraNature also contains organic material to provide some organic nutrients as well as organic matter. A repeat application of an OMF should increase the soil organic matter and stimulate microbial populations. As we all know, increasing your organic matter is not something that happens overnight, so it would need to be applied over a number of applications and seasons to fully benefit the soil. We are gathering as much data over the coming years to learn more about the benefits of this novel product.

Part of Yara’s agronomy team attended the crop plot open day in April to take N-Tester readings from the plots and gather some data. The site is looking good and hopefully it is going to be a great 2 days in June. Yara has lots to talk to you about so make sure you come and visit the Yara stand to see our trial plots. As always, we will have our crop nutrition experts on hand at the event to discuss all aspects of nutrition, our products, as well as the tools and services Yara has to offer. We look forward to seeing you there!