There has been a lot of talk about NIRS and what advantages it can bring, not just on a forage harvester but more so when applying slurry, giving you instant analysis of the nutrient make-up so you can adjust the volume in real time to match the crop’s needs. Yet this technology doesn’t come cheap: the actual sensor will set you back at least £15,000 plus the additional unlocks, depending on exactly what you want to measure — slurry, fresh or ensiled forage, grains —and what type of machine you are fitting it to.
Last year, Portadown-based Hunniford Farms started using a New Holland NIRS unit so it could be more precise with its slurry and digestate applications to a range of cereal, grass and maize crops.
“We have always sampled the slurry and then tried to work out how many gallons per acre to put on. But my agronomist wanted
