On Tuesday, 8 July, NUTRI-CHECK NET, in collaboration with the Water Quality on Sandy Soils project, hosted an afternoon dedicated to fertilisation strategies and their impact on both crop performance and nitrogen leaching.
The event organised by DELPHY began with an insightful presentation on nitrate measurement techniques and the results collected over recent years. Discussions highlighted that while methods are advancing, they are still under development, and that crop type and soil characteristics significantly influence the readings.
Following the theoretical session, participants moved into the field for practical demonstrations. Together with a large group of growers, we visited plots of potatoes, malting barley, and sugar beets. These trial plots compared a standard fertilisation regime with approaches designed to reduce nitrogen leaching, including:
- Split nitrogen applications
- Use of solid fertilisers
- Selection of alternative crop varieties
The combination of presentations and field visits provided a clear link between research and practice, offering valuable insights into improving fertilisation efficiency while protecting water quality.
Read more about Water Quality on Sandy Soils project here!
