Contractor’s view: Making every drop of slurry count

As fertiliser prices have increased significantly since late February 2026, it is more important than ever that farmers get the best value from their organic manures. Signpost Climate Advisor, Gary Fisher recently caught up with contractor, Jonathan Catterson to discuss the technologies available now to make best use of slurry.

Over the last four years (2022 – 2025), 222,000 soil samples have been analysed by Southern Scientific for Teagasc. What do the results tell us? Over 50% of the samples were less than 6.2 for pH, 50% of the soils were index one and two for phosphorus (P) and 43% of the soils were index one and two for potassium (K).

In my experience, sorry to say this, but a lot of farmers are creatures of habit. That is, they spread the same fertiliser type regardless of the soil results and the slurry is applied to the fields closest to the farmyard!

Act on soil samples

Given the dramatic increase in fertiliser in 2026, farmers need to seriously look at their soil results and act on the results. There’s no point in paying for soil samples and a nutrient management plan and not changing fertiliser type or liming plan accordingly.

So, the number one thing to correct on you farm is pH, i.e. spread the lime as per soil results to release the nutrients that are locked up in the soil – namely nitrogen and phosphorus, and to improve the efficiency of the chemical fertiliser (bagged fertiliser) applied to the soil.

We should not need a Minister for Agriculture to subside the spreading of lime. When the lime scheme was launched in March 2023, everybody seemed to want lime. The sad reality is that in my own county, farmers that got approval did not actually go ahead and apply the lime even after three extensions were given.

It is the cheapest nutrient that can be purchased for your farm. Correcting pH on your farm will reduce the requirement for expensive chemical fertiliser. Phosphorus and potassium indexes are difficult and expensive to improve. However, to maximise grass or silage yields on farm, it is money well spent through a longer grazing season and higher yields.

Efficient use of slurry

Given rising fertiliser and diesel costs, it is essential that the slurry that is produced on your farm is used in the most efficient way as possible. i.e. to reduce the need to purchase expensive phosphorus and potassium in bagged form.

Ideally spread slurry in the springtime, under damp, cool conditions to capture most of the organic nitrogen. Use low emission slurry spreading (LESS) to reduce ammonia loss to the atmosphere.

Get your slurry tested. This costs approximately €70 and is money well spent because now you will know the dry matter of your slurry and the nutrient content of same. Not all slurry is the same. Comparing slurry in a beef finishing unit to a dry suckler cow shed is like comparing chalk and cheese.

So why do so many farmers leave slurry application to the autumn time – given the value that can be got from using it appropriately in the springtime?

I recently caught up with local contractor, Jonathan Catterson to discuss how proper slurry management on farms can improve nutrient use efficiency and what technologies are available now to make best use of your slurry. If you want different results for your farm – you need to act on the soil results and apply the nutrients to where they are required so as to reduce the reliance on expensive chemical fertiliser and improve water quality also.

Watch the full video below: