Fertiliser Spreading Mechanisms and their Performance in Practice

The Mechanisation Group of the Agricultural Development and Advisory Service is responsible for giving advice to farmers about machinery including equipment used for the application of fertilisers.

The economic advantages of using fertilisers in crop production are now well established but it is recognised that they should be applied effectively.

In 1980 ADAS Mechanisation Advisers carried out a study to access the performance of fertiliser spreaders in practice and in 1984 a similar project studied the application of urea fertiliser.

The results of this work are reported, together with comments on the latest trends in fertiliser application including the influence of ecology, the move towards greater precision in fertiliser application and the integration of fertiliser handling and spreading activities.