The price of fertiliser is enough to give most people grey hair, and there is no sign of any respite on the horizon. However, for all farmers who produce slurry, there is an opportunity to save on the costs of commercial fertiliser.
Many farmers have been using Active NS – a slurry additive for mixing into slurry – for several years. In documented tests, the product has been shown to bind an extra 1-2 kg of nitrogen per tonne of slurry.
If you have not yet tried Active NS in your slurry, the procedure is quite simple. You start by adding 20 g of Active NS per tonne of slurry already in the slurry tank. When the tank is full and needs to be emptied, it is important that the tank is agitated thoroughly before the slurry is spread on the fields. After emptying the slurry tank, continue to use the product only in the housing units. Here, likewise, 20 g of Active NS must be added per tonne of slurry. The powder can either be scattered on the slats or mixed into the water and poured out. When the slurry tank is full again, agitate thoroughly before spreading the slurry on the fields.
Calculations show that at start-up you can expect to get 350 g more nitrogen per tonne in the slurry tank. You will only start to see the big gains in the region of 1-2 kg more nitrogen per tonne of slurry once you start using the product long-term in the housing units.
The total cost of using Active NS is recouped many times over, as the product binds nitrogen into the slurry. See the price illustration below:
There are additional benefits, too, when you add Active NS to your slurry. You get a better housing unit environment, benefiting animals and people alike. You also achieve a better flow in slurry channels and slurry containers. The slurry tank is easier to agitate, and there is less odour from the slurry when it is being spread on the fields. And you will also be helping to create a better environment, with less CO2 being emitted.
That’s why it can certainly pay to optimise your slurry by adding Active NS, as it can help to take the edge off towering fertiliser prices.