Weights Measures

17
Weights
& Measures
NIT R AT E
Avoid confusion, move to kg/ha

rather than ‘units’
Fertiliser recommendations are given in the It is easier to work with the weight of
form: kg of nutrient per hectare, e.g. 70 kgN /ha nutrient required (e.g. kg N/ha) and then
The old ‘unit’ system is based on the proportion simply to calculate the application rate
of a 50 kg bag (originally a cwt or 110 lb) so that required based on the concentration or
a 27% N product contains 27 units (which is percentage in the fertiliser (bagged, bulk
actually 13.5 kg of N) or organic manure or slurry/FYM)
So, if you have a recommendation to apply 70 kg of N per hectare, what does that convert to in
terms of the product in your yard?
CAN has 27% N. Every kg of the fertiliser has 0.27 kg of N. 70/0.27 or 259 kg of fertiliser CAN
per hectare to apply 70 kg N/ha. This is the setting that you need to have for your fertiliser
spreader
Urea is 46% N, 70/0.46 or just 152 kg/ha of urea per hectare
A 18-6-12, has 18% N, 70/0.18 or 389 kg/ha of 18-6-12 must be applied to apply 70 kg N/ha.
product but note that this will also apply 23 kg of P and 47 kg K per hectare
Pig slurry that has 2 kg of available N per cubic meter, will require an application of 70/2 or 35
cubic meters per hectare ( 3150 gallons /acre ) to apply 70 kg N/ha. This would also supply 28
kg of P and 77 kg /ha assuming the slurry has 0.8 kg P/ha and 2.2 kg of K per cubic meter
Some computerised spreaders will allow you to type in the type of product and will
automatically calculate the application based on your selected rate
Volumetric conversions
1000 litres = 1 cubic meter Weights
4.5 cubic meters = 1,000 gallons 0.8 units = 1.0 kg N
1.0 cubic meters = 220 gallons units/ 1,000 gals divided by 9 = kg/m3
So if cattle slurry has a nutrient content of 1 kg N, 0.6 kg P / and 3.5 kg K

/ m3 and a slurry tanker applies at a rate of 20 m3/ha (approx. 1,800 gals/
ac), then the nutrients supplied are 20 kg N, 12 kg P and 70 kg K
Relative value of fertilisers (using CAN, urea or
protected urea)
NIT R AT E
The purpose of this Teagasc program is to allow advisors and farmers to

compare the relative value of fertilisers at any one time based on the price of three of the main
fertilisers on the market. The primary components of fertilisers are nitrogen, phosphorous and
potassium. This program calculates the relative cost of a unit of nitrogen, phosphorous and
potassium and using this information calculates the value of compound fertilisers, depending on
the proportion of each component in it
The input sheet consists of a table of the main fertilisers available on the market, their component
analysis and current price. Fertiliser prices marked with an asterisk must be entered for the
calculation to be done
You can access the program by scanning the QR code
http://interactive.teagasc.ie/ http://interactive.teagasc.ie/
Open/RelativeValueFertCAN Open/RelativeValueFertUrea
Fertilizer Calculator
https://www.fertilizer-assoc.ie/p-k-calculator/calculator/
The P and K Calculator was developed by the Fertilizer Association of Ireland (FAI) in Association
with Teagasc and K+S UK & Eire Ltd (the FAI spell fertiliser with a z)
Click on the link to ‘Fertilizer Calculator’ Click submit to see the breakdown of the P
above and K requirements for maintenance, soil
Select crop category from the list of buildup, P and K applied in organic manure,
options (e.g. Dairy Grazing, Cereals, etc.) and chemical P and K required
Enter details on soil P and K index, Note that P fertiliser rates may need to be
stocking rates, concentrate feed adjusted based on Nitrates limits on your farm
usage, yields, and organic manures by Repeat steps 2-5 to calculate and P and K
selecting from the lists provided requirement for a different crop or grassland
scenario
Note 1 – To calculate stocking rate as kg/ha Org N, allow 85 kg of Org N per for every 1 LU/ha
Note 2 – To calculate concentrate feed used in t/ha, divide the total concentrate feed used on the farm (t) by the total grassland area (ha)
Note 3 – For crop yield, use DM yield for silage crops, and fresh yield for cereals, oilseed, legume and root crops
Note 4 – 1000 gallons per acre of slurry applied is equal to 11 t/ha. 1 t/acre of solid manure is equal to 2.5 t/ha
Note 5 – Multiply kg/ha * 0.8 to convert to units/acre
Deirdre Hennessy, Seamus Kearney, Mark Plunkett, David Wall, Mark Moore (Editor), Pat Murphy,
Stan Lalor, were the main contributors to this series of leaflets. Numerous colleagues from
Teagasc AGRIP, CELUP, REDP, Signpost, PR dept. and advisory service also participated.

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17

Avoid confusion, move to kg/ha

So if cattle slurry has a nutrient content of 1 kg N, 0.6 kg P / and 3.5 kg K

The purpose of this Teagasc program is to allow advisors and farmers to

You can access the program by scanning the QR code

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