Free manure testing workshop
Eurofins, the leading food and agricultural testing laboratory group, is hosting a FREE practical workshop for farmers, growers and consultants on Tuesday 13 December 2011. This workshop will focus on the importance of testing manure and slurry for nutrient content in order to enhance crop yield and reduce costs.
With speakers from JSR Farms, ADAS UK and Eurofins, the event will provide an overview of the benefits of using manure, slurries and biosolids to more accurately assess the amount of the material that needs to, or can, be applied to crops, and so reduce costs.
The escalating cost of artificial fertilisers means that it makes economic as well as environmental sense for farmers to apply manure back onto the land, but many farmers tend not to know the nutrient content of organic materials so often inaccurately calculate how much to use for best results. Excessive use of nutrients can mean reduced profitability, increased environmental issues, and the potential for crop yield reduction as well as having an adverse effect on quality.
Eurofins will be demonstrating the benefits of rapid testing of manure to give accurate results. Following extensive research and method validation* the company has recently launched a rapid test which uses Near Infra Red Spectroscopy (NIRS) technology to test for dry matter, total nitrogen, ammonium-nitrogen, phosphate, potash, magnesium and sulphur. The method is accurate, rapid and consistent and covers both solid and semi-solid materials.
Andrew Scott, Business Unit Manager from Eurofins said:
"Good nutrient management can save time and money so growers require a rapid and robust method for quantifying nutrients and their availability in manures, in particular taking account of nitrogen levels. The new NIRS method developed by Eurofins has been calibrated against traditional methods and gives more consistent results, cost effectively in a shorter time frame, so enabling farmers and consultants to have a more accurate picture of their nutrient applications."
The new manure test is part of a growing range of agricultural tests offered by Eurofins which includes soil analysis for arable, grassland and protected horticulture; hydroponic solution analysis; silage and feedstuffs analysis; compost testing to PAS100 and Fertilisers values of manure, slurries and liquid waste.
Places at the Workshop on 13 December in Wolverhampton are limited. To book a place emailsales@eurofins.co.uk
For more information contact Eurofins on 0845 604 6740 or email sales@eurofins.co.uk
Editors Notes
*This research was funded under the Defra Sustainable Arable LINK Research Programme. Industry partners: DairyCo, HGCA, EBLEX, BPEX, Potato Council, GrowHow UK Ltd, Yara ASA International, Bruker Optics UK Ltd, Grampian Country Pork-Vion Ltd, Agrivert Ltd, Spreadwise Ltd, Severn Trent Water Ltd and Yorkshire Water Ltd.
Published: 24 November 2011