The field day was run by Riverine Plains and included several fertiliser spreader calibrations by Russel Nichol, a Fertcare registered calibration specialist.

Three of the linkage spreaders were calibrated using Urea and in each case, a simple test to measure product size showed the granular Urea would not be ideal to spread to a set width such as 36m, for example.

A small sample of the urea is put into a screening box which shows the percentages of Urea granule size in four categories; less than 2mm in diameter, 2-3.35mm in diameter, 3.35-4.75mm and greater than 4.75mm in diameter.

“We should be aiming for a 60:40 ratio for the two larger diameter categories, with very few fines. Smaller granules will struggle to reach a spread width of 30m or so as they simple do not have the weight and inertia as they fly off the spreader’s spinning discs and vanes,” Nichol said.

Michael Straight from the Foundation for Arable Research also spoke at the day, about results from a project which is looking at nitrous oxide emissions in cereal crops.