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Technical note (TN734): Fertiliser recommendations for vegetables, minority arable crops and bulbs

Summary

  • Vegetables and some of the minority crops can have a high value.
  • Production costs are also often high, with fertilisers accounting for a very small percentage of variable costs.
  • Fertilisers should be applied at rates that are likely to result in the maximum yield of crops of acceptable quality, whilst ensuring protection of the surrounding environment.
  • Nitrogen (N) recommendations for these crops have been updated in the light of recent trials results and advisory experience.
  • Tables that take account of N released from previous crop residues, grass leys and N available from reserves in different soil types have been updated.
  • A soil specific approach to P management is presented that considers the relationship between differing soils capacity to regulate P availability for plant uptake.
  • N recommendations take account of NVZ Action Programme rules and Nmax and will minimise losses of N to the environment.
  • Recommendations are given for nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, sulphur, sodium, boron, copper, manganese and molybdenum

Read the technical note here

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