Blog: Kees Kroes

Precision fertilization Germany as a source of inspiration

June 17, 2017 - Kees Kroes - 3 comments

I recently joined Bureau Mestafzet and De Boer Op Advies on a so-called "Manure Mission" to Germany. This fertilizer mission was intended to get a better picture of the wishes of our most important customer for exported fertilizers.

One of the things that has struck me is that some German farmers are working very carefully on precision fertilization and optimizing it. We, the Dutch, can certainly learn something from that. We can also be inspired by it.

Small savings are often big at company level

Advanced techniques
The large German arable farmers in particular are serious about this, because a small saving per hectare can quickly turn into a large saving at farm level. During the growing season, they adjust the nitrogen fertilization to the amount of crop using a chlorophyll sensor. They apply the fertilizer they use with a sophisticated, expensive pneumatic spreader or sprayer. In this way they want to reduce the variation from about 15 percent to less than 1,5 percent. A significant difference!

Fertilizing site-specific
Some farmers also still use soil samples in the various soil layers. They collect all this data and, based on the results, they fertilize site-specifically with chicken manure or with other types of manure. This is an opportunity for Dutch companies to supply homogeneous quality fertilizer.

In places with a poorer soil type, they sow fewer plants and also fertilize less. The advantage of this is that more can be fertilized in the right places and fewer minerals remain unused. At the end of the season they also measure the grain yield per location. Based on the results, they make choices for the next season and an equal or better yield is achieved with less (artificial) fertilizer.

Roughage of the right quality and composition

Keep working on improvement
It is clear that precision fertilization offers many advantages. During our meetings this spring, we made it clear that it can help dairy farmers to reduce the phosphate supply on farms if the roughage is of the right quality and composition. For arable farmers, it also provides (qualitatively) better harvests.

And, last but not least, it is also better for the soil and the quality of the groundwater. In many German regions, work on water quality is now high on the agenda. This is due to the measurement of excessively high nitrate levels in the groundwater. As far as I'm concerned, we are inspired by the German approach and we combine it with our knowledge of precision fertilization.


German arable farmer explains the method, including precision fertilization
Photo: Lieke Boekhorst (De Boer on Advice)

Keith Croes

Project leader Program Manure & Minerals (LTO North)
Comments
3 comments
Jer June 19, 2017
This is a response to this article:
[url=http://www.boerenbusiness.nl/ondernemen/blogs/column/10874848/precisionbemesting-duitsland-als-inspiratiebron][/url]
I am astonished at Mr Kroes's findings. What rock has this project leader been hiding under in recent years? What new developments are being discussed here? The Netherlands has been working on and participating in this for years! Particularly sad when such developments are apparently unknown to our stand organization!
sludge June 20, 2017
Must have cow's blood they still calculate in cubic meters per hectare and nothing else. No shut-off valves on the injectors, etc. Mess around as long as you have the derogation at company level!!! As a farmer you don't need any of that kind of advocacy!
Jasper My Kippema June 20, 2017
Good and clear article, thanks for this!
jan4072 June 25, 2017
@ger. I think you must have had your blinders on a bit. In 1983 (so already 34 years ago) there was a program on WDR TV about the increased nitrate content in groundwater. And in that program it was shown by means of measurements in the underground groundwater flow that it originated from NL due to over-fertilization. And also that programs were already developed in Germany to prevent N leaching. No fertilizer injection, but drag hose system. What is the Dutch government doing? They come up with a program against P (phosphate). So your claim that we here NL have been working on it for years is very limited. The fact that something is really being done about N here in NL is something that happened in the past few years and, as so often, we are lagging behind the facts.
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