Limus^®: Benefits beyond compliance

New guidelines can be a headache but the urea stewardship scheme does not have to be. In fact, there are multiple benefits to be had, as farm manager Max Ward discovered when he swapped from solid to liquid fertiliser and added Limus Perform

Max manages two arable operations, H & D Murraywells and Castle Howard Estate Ltd in North Yorkshire, growing barley, OSR, wheat and vining peas across 1,500 acres.

“We’ve seen greater nitrogen uptake with Limus Perform,” he says. “Since starting to use it, our wheat’s protein levels have been good and all our milling wheat has made spec, without the foliar feed we used to apply.”

While optimising applications was the primary driver for Max, environmental concerns were also a factor.

For BASF Business Development Manager, Andrew Clune, this point is key. “The use of urease inhibitors demonstrates our collective commitment to reducing emissions – something we know politicians, regulators and other stakeholders are keen to see,” he says.

“Using an inhibited urea should be more than a box-ticking exercise – it is about maximising the nutrient potential of fertiliser while also adhering to the guidelines.”

Limus® is the only available solution containing two urease inhibitors (NPPT & NBPT) which is why, says Andrew, the product is so effective. “The dual active technology increases efficacy by 40% which gives a 3% yield uplift over generic NBPT and, for much needed flexibility on-farm, BASF’s patented technology allows for storage up to 12 months.”

It’s this increased efficacy that is leading Max to use Limus Perform® rather than the stewardship scheme. “Last year we didn’t use it on our first pass but this year we will,” he says.

Available from Frontier Agriculture, Limus® Perform for liquid fertiliser is added through the induction bowl before application. Limus® protected urea, is granular urea that is supplied already treated and is available from COFCO International, Bartholomews and Thomas Bell.