Nitrogen use

The development of artificial nitrogen fertilisers, coupled with plant breeding, have enabled increased yields to feed an ever-growing population. Now the pressure is to continue to produce these yields whilst ensuring sustainability. In arable systems the two areas of focus are fertilisers and fuel as they are the primary sources of greenhouse gas emissions (GHG), whilst also being associated with other environmental issues. The reaction to net zero and sustainability is often a negative one, with concerns that it can come at a cost to business and is detrimental to profitability. Although this can be the case, it can also be a driver for increased efficiency and innovation which increases business resilience and profitability. There are lots of opportunities to maximise yield with optimal inputs to ensure sustainable farming without going to extremes. In this article we will focus on nitrogen in sugar beet by looking at some of the basics and identifying areas where we can optimise nitrogen use.