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Fertiliser Update for 2026

Update: July 2026 – Season Update

Fertiliser prices increased during the year, driven by higher natural gas costs, geopolitical uncertainty, and concerns over global supply chains, particularly in Europe and the Middle East. Looking ahead, market participants are closely monitoring energy prices, international trade developments, and the planned introduction of carbon border adjustment measures, all of which could influence fertiliser availability and pricing across the UK agricultural sector.

We have some mixtures specifically for this season for Reseeds, Brassica Crops and Autumn Cereals

Reseed grades to boost phosphate and Potash levels using GAFSA and MOP

Reseed grades for grassland

Gafsa 4-25-12 + 3So3 + 28CaO

Gafsa 4-21-21 + 2So3 + 21CaO

Gafsa 3-16-30 + 1.5So3 + 16CaO

Order now for Brassica crops

9 15 15 + 7so3 + Boron for turnips, kale, fodder beet. Call to discuss application rates

Order early for Autumn cereal seed requirements

0-19-19 + 3.5 SO3 + 30 CaO + BioPHOS as a cost effective option compared to 0 – 24 – 24. Call to discuss application rates

Nitrogen also available.

Urea + Protected + Sulphur

27N 10So3

34.5% and 33.5% AN

Update: April 2026

25/26 Fertiliser Update

With input costs continuing to rise, making the most of home-grown forage has never been more important. One of the most effective and sustainable ways to achieve this is by increasing clover content in grass swards. Clover not only improves forage quality by boosting protein levels, but it also plays a vital role in fixing atmospheric nitrogen.

So, how can we improve clover performance in our swards this spring?

Start with soil pH

Clover thrives in soils with a pH between 6.0 and 6.5. When soil pH drops below this range, the bacteria responsible for forming root nodules struggle to function effectively. This reduces nodulation and limits the plant’s ability to fix nitrogen. Regular soil testing and timely liming are essential steps to create the right conditions for clover establishment and persistence.

Prioritise potash (K)

Potash is a key nutrient for clover-dominant swards. In fact, mixed grass/clover swards require more potash than grass-only systems. This is particularly important where silage is cut and removed, as potassium offtake is high.

Research over a three-year period has demonstrated the impact clearly: applying 70 kg K₂O/ha annually increased clover dry matter yield by 53% in grazed swards and by 72% in cut systems. Beyond yield, potash is essential for the biological processes behind nitrogen fixation in legume root nodules, making it a cornerstone nutrient in any clover-based system. It is also especially important in herbal leys with a high proportion of legumes.

Don’t overlook sulphur (S)

Clover has a higher sulphur requirement than grass, and deficiencies can significantly limit performance. Sulphur plays a direct role in nitrogen fixation—without it, nodulation is reduced, nitrogen fixation is inhibited, and overall nodule activity slows down.

To support optimal clover growth, an application of 100 kg/ha of Polysulphate (organic) twice per season is recommended—once in early spring and again in late summer. This ensures a consistent sulphur supply during key growth periods.

The bottom line

Maximising clover in your swards isn’t just about cutting fertiliser costs—it’s about building a more resilient, productive, and sustainable forage system. By correcting soil pH and ensuring adequate levels of potash and sulphur, you can unlock the full potential of clover.

St Catherines Stock Grazer is available supplying N,P,K + sulphur, magnesium, calcium and selenium which all essential for high quality grazing and silage ground.

Grass is key for cost effective milk yield!

We supply Origin Soil Nutrition fertilisers to England, Wales & Scotland.

Update: December 2025

Winter 25/26 Fertiliser Update

Urea sulphur is good value currently, compared to ammonium nitrate-based fertilisers and should certainly be considered.

It is key that sulphur is applied to silage and grazing ground to boost protein levels and to improve nitrogen use efficiency (NUE).

St Catherines Stock Grazer is available supplying N,P,K + sulphur, magnesium, calcium and selenium which all essential for high quality grazing and silage ground.

Grass is key for cost effective milk yield!

We supply Origin Soil Nutrition fertilisers to England, Wales & Scotland.

Update: July – 2025

Planning a Late Silage Crop? Consider This for Better Yield and Quality

With a dry spring behind us, some farmers might be thinking about planting a late silage crop in August or September—provided we get some rain in the coming weeks. If that’s your plan, it’s worth exploring a nutrient blend that goes beyond just nitrogen.

A blend of NKS (Nitrogen, Potassium, Sulphur) plus sodium can significantly boost not only the yield but also the quality of your grass. This combination enhances palatability and increases protein content, which is essential for quality forage.

If your ley contains 10% to 20% clover, you might be able to reduce nitrogen inputs. Clover naturally fixes nitrogen at its peak, helping to supply your crop without additional fertiliser.

Interested in tailored nutrient blends to suit your fields? Get in touch with us to discuss specific options that meet your crop’s unique needs.

It is important where appropriate we apply potash to our crops in the spring

Ensuring adequate potash (K) availability is crucial for winter crops, particularly on soils with low reserves (K Index 0 or 1). Ideally, potash fertilisers should be incorporated into the seedbed, but if this wasn’t done, an early spring top-dressing is still beneficial.

There are different product options available to farmers, Polysulphate or Potash Plus offers a valuable source of sulphur, magnesium, and calcium alongside potash. MOP offers a cost effective method of applying potash as well which is water soluble meaning it is available to the plants. On soils with K Index 2, applications can be timed conveniently to replace crop-removed potassium and maintain soil reserves.

Without sufficient potassium, crops face several challenges, including:

Yield loss, especially in dry conditions
Weaker stems, increasing lodging risk
Lower vigour, making crops more susceptible to disease, pests, and weeds
Poor grain quality, affecting marketability
Reduced nitrogen efficiency, leading to lower protein synthesis
Greater stress sensitivity, making crops less resilient to drought, frost, and wind

To protect yield and crop quality, ensure potash applications are well-timed this spring.

– Guillaume Franklin – Nutrition Agronomist – Origin Fertilisers

Grassland Reseeds

Origin Fertilisers are one of our expert partners, their Nutrition Agronomist, Guillaume Franklin prepared the following article for our customers:

A well-prepared seedbed, supported by balanced soil nutrition, will enable new grassland crops to become well established and contribute to the farm’s forage during the following season.

One of the most important nutrients during early growth is phosphate, and using GAFSA BioPHOS means it is at plant available levels during early development, and not just for a small period post drilling.

Phosphate is required by young plants to establish strong root systems to allow a wider uptake of nutrients. Independent trials show GAFSA increased root mass by 31%, compared with a traditional phosphate application, which resulted in a fresh weight yield increase of 35%. This highlights the importance of providing grass with the right nutrition following drilling to optimise yields at harvest time.

Nutrition Agronomist Guillaume Franklin explains a common pitfall with traditional phosphate sources that will limit development: “Phosphate should be applied before or immediately after drilling, but this is where phosphate availability is an issue as it can become locked up, preventing plants from accessing it.” Guillaume added “This can be overcome by using a phosphate with a reduced particle size than traditional sources, such as GAFSA BioPHOS. A further advantage is it contains sulphur and calcium, both essential to plant growth, along with humic and fulvic acid coated on to the granules to increase phosphate availability throughout the cycle and beyond.”

GAFSA BioPHOS is ideal for farmers looking to adopt a regenerative farming system and is also organically certified.

New leys have a greater requirement for phosphate to help with root development and a lower requirement for nitrogen
Origin GAFSA + DAP reseed range will increase root mass and fresh weight yield
Phosphate will be available straight after application as well as providing a sustained release of nutrients for 3-4 years
Humic and fulvic organic acids stimulate the release of plant-available phosphate
Contains naturally occurring essential micro-nutrients including boron, cobalt, copper, iodine, manganese, selenium, sodium and zinc.
Stimulates soil microbial activity for improved soil health
GAFSA reseed increased root mass by 31% compared to standard reseed grades
GAFSA reseed increased fresh weight yield by 35%

We supply a full range of fertilisers for both the livestock and arable farmer. We work with the UK’s leading producers that enable us to offer high-quality products at a fair price.

We have industry experts on-hand to give advise for your particular requirements.

Speak to us about any custom blends you require.

We can help you ensure that the correct soil analysis is applied and that you purchase the correct fertiliser purchase for your land and crops.

Call us today on 01225 743353

Click here to learn more about CloverMaxx – the No Nitorgen fertiliser blends to maximise your Clover Leys