Facebook Twitter Instagram
    • FREE Email Newsletters
    • About Us
    • Advertise
    • Contact Us
    • Magazine Subscriptions
    Twitter LinkedIn
    Podcast
    Farm Contractor & Large Scale Farmer
    • News
      • Arable & Agronomy
      • Dealership News
      • Environmental Land Management Scheme/Policy
      • Event News
      • Health & Safety
      • Machinery
      • People
      • World News
    • Farm Machinery
      • Amenity & Maintenance
      • Cultivations
      • Drilling
      • Grassland Equipment
      • Harvesting
      • Muck & Slurry
      • Sprayers
      • Telehandlers
      • Tractors
      • Tractor of the Year
      • Tyres & Tracks
    • Precision Farming
    • Markets & Policy
    • Profiles
      • Company Profiles
      • Reader Profiles
    • Livestock
      • Beef
      • Dairy
      • Sheep
    • Podcast
    • Events
    Farm Contractor & Large Scale Farmer
    Arable & Livestock

    Rapid test kit could preserve dwindling phosphate supplies

    Matthew TiltBy Matthew TiltMay 28, 20213 Mins Read
    Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email
    Susan Tandy Phosfield
    Dr Susan Tandy with the new phosphate analysing kit

    If we maintain the current usage rate of phosphate applications, global sources of the valuable nutrient may only last another 30 to 100 years. Now, a new in-field soil testing kit, developed as part of the Phosfield project, could help farmers more precisely utilise the available phosphate.

    Funded by the European Regional Development Fund’s Agri-Tech Cornwell programme, the kit is said to provide precise results within just 20 minutes, significantly reducing the several day turnarounds provided by laboratories.

    “Most farmers test their soils for phosphate every three to five years,” explained Dr Susan Tandy, soil scientist at Rothamsted Research. “They usually take several samples from across the field and amalgamate them to get an average reading.”

    The phosphate level will vary across fields, and more accurate GPS-located testing will enable farmers to apply fertiliser at variable rates, therefore achieving more consistent yields. Phosphate availability will also change over time and depends on the soil type, so more frequent testing will allow farmers to be even more accurate.

    This new test has been in development for three years and has been trialled in Ghana, where it is believed it will have significant benefits.

    “The technique would be extremely useful in developing countries as they have limited lab access to test their soils, meaning the application of expensive fertiliser is both financially risky and may not match crop requirement,” said Dr Tandy.

    Using Cornish soil samples, the researchers have worked with Vital Spark Creative to produce an analytical kit that will be easy to use in the field.

    “There are lots of different elements to the kit; if you’re not a chemist it’s pretty involved,” said Chris Booker, director at Vital Spark Creative. “We tried to make it user friendly so that farmers can easily use it on the farm.

    “You put a small soil sample into the bottle and mix it with an extraction solution before passing it through a filter. You then add various chemicals to get the final result, which is analysed in a colourimeter so the result is easy to read.”

    The results are said to be precise and can be translated into a phosphate index if required.

    “The attraction of it, beyond speed, is that this test may well prove more accurate for different soil types,” added independent agronomist Tim Martyn. “The phosphate fertiliser recommendations in the Nutrient Management Guide (RB209) are not soil type specific. Given the limited world phosphate supplies, more accurate measurement means we can be much more efficient with these resources, particularly in developing countries. It’s really exciting.”

    Dr Tandy explained that while precision farming techniques like soil and crop scanning and conductivity tests enable variable rate nitrogen applications, analysing phosphate will likely always require a physical soil sample to be taken. The test could therefore form the basis of more efficient applications.

    “By not over-fertilising, farmers will be saving money and potentially reducing phosphate loss to watercourses, which causes damaging pollution via eutrophication and resultant algal blooms,” she said.

    It is also said to be cost effective. After the initial cost of the kit, each test will cost pence rather than several pounds for laboratory analysis. While it’s not commercially available yet, the team are seeking additional funding to bring it to market and will undertake further research to provide tailored fertiliser recommendations for different crops and soil types.

    Tweet
    Share
    Share
    Pin
    Share. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email
    Previous ArticleBritish public believe imports should meet UK’s high standards, survey reveals
    Next Article Putting sprayers to the test at Cereals
    Matthew Tilt
    • Twitter
    • LinkedIn

    Machinery editor for Farm Contractor & Large Scale Farmer. Matt has worked as an agricultural machinery journalist for five years, following time spent in his family’s Worcestershire contracting business. When he’s not driving or writing about the latest farm equipment, he can be found in his local cinema, or with his headphones in, reading a good book.

    Read Similar Stories

    Family farm increases revenue with hi-tech grain processing plant

    July 13, 2022

    Cereals Crop Plots – An interview with LSPB’s Chris Guest

    May 6, 2022

    Cereals Crop Plots – An interview with NIAB’s Kevin Middleton

    May 5, 2022
    Most Read Stories

    Agri-Spread to offer new horizontal beater muckspreader

    August 19, 2022

    John Deere revises forage harvester range for 2023

    August 19, 2022

    New certification scheme designed for regenerative farmers

    August 18, 2022
    Farm Contractor & Large Scale Farmer

    The UK's leading agricultural machinery journal

    Twitter LinkedIn
    © 2022 Lewis Business Media. All Rights Reserved.
    Lewis Business Media, Suite A, Arun House, Office Village, River Way, Uckfield, TN22 1SL

    Privacy Policy | Cookie Policy | Terms & Conditions

    • AA Farmer
    • Farm Business
    • Poultry News
    • Pig World
    • OvertheCounter

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

    We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “ACCEPT ALL”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
    Cookie SettingsREJECT ALLAccept All
    Manage consent

    Privacy Overview

    This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
    Necessary
    Always Enabled
    Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
    CookieDurationDescription
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-advertisement1 yearSet by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin, this cookie is used to record the user consent for the cookies in the "Advertisement" category .
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics1 yearSet by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin, this cookie is used to record the user consent for the cookies in the "Analytics" category .
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional1 yearThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary1 yearSet by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin, this cookie is used to record the user consent for the cookies in the "Necessary" category .
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-others1 yearSet by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin, this cookie is used to store the user consent for cookies in the category "Others".
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance1 yearSet by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin, this cookie is used to store the user consent for cookies in the category "Performance".
    PHPSESSIDsessionThis cookie is native to PHP applications. The cookie is used to store and identify a users' unique session ID for the purpose of managing user session on the website. The cookie is a session cookies and is deleted when all the browser windows are closed.
    Functional
    Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
    Performance
    Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
    Analytics
    Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
    CookieDurationDescription
    _ga2 yearsThe _ga cookie, installed by Google Analytics, calculates visitor, session and campaign data and also keeps track of site usage for the site's analytics report. The cookie stores information anonymously and assigns a randomly generated number to recognize unique visitors.
    _gat_gtag_UA_31822138_191 minuteSet by Google to distinguish users.
    _gid1 dayInstalled by Google Analytics, _gid cookie stores information on how visitors use a website, while also creating an analytics report of the website's performance. Some of the data that are collected include the number of visitors, their source, and the pages they visit anonymously.
    Advertisement
    Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
    CookieDurationDescription
    OAID1 yearThis cookie is set when an AdsWizz website visitor have opted out the collection of information by AdsWizz service or opted to disable the targeted ads by AdsWizz.
    Others
    Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
    SAVE & ACCEPT
    Powered by CookieYes Logo