[Ground Working 101] Fertilizing

Welcome to the Farming Simulator Academy! Today, we show you what you need to know about fertilizer. Let’s take a look.

How Fertilizing Works

To get as much income from your crops as possible, you should fertilize at least once per crop cycle. You can fertilize each crop twice overall. 

But, there has to be a stage of growth between both applications. For example, you can fertilize the first time after sowing, and a second time after the plants begin to sprout.

Also, there are two exceptions to the rule:

• Exception #1: grass you can only fertilize once instead of twice
• Exception #2: If you are using manure and slurry for fertilizing, you can activate the double application rate. By using this, you require only one application to reach full fertilization. But, you have to do it with half the speed.

Types of Fertilizer

There are multiple ways to fertilize. Depending on the type of fertilizer you want to use, different machinery is required.

• Solid fertilizer is used in combination with fertilizer spreaders. They’re the cheapest way to fertilize in the beginning, since the cost for a low-tier spreader saves you money compared to a sprayer. Buy solid fertilizer either in Bigbag Pallets or individual Bigbags. 
• Liquid fertilizer is used in combination with sprayers instead of spreaders. Buy the liquid fertilizer in tanks in the “pallets” section of the shop.
• Slurry is produced by your cows and pigs, and stored in an underground tank. You need to provide them with fresh water to produce slurry. You need a slurry tank attached to your tractor to fertilize your field with slurry.
• Manure is also produced by your cows and pigs, and will appear in the manure pit of their pasture. You have to provide straw bedding in addition to water for your animals to procure manure. It’s applied with a manure spreader.
• Digestate is a free byproduct you gain from selling manure or silage at the biogas plant. You can apply it as fertilizer similar to slurry, using a slurry tanker. 
• Catch crops are another option to fertilize your fields. You can get one stage of fertilization by planting oilseed radish. This crop can’t be harvested, but you cultivate over the oilseed when it’s fully grown, so it fertilizes the soil. Then, you plant your regular crop.

Tip! Manure, slurry, and digestate are the cheapest ways to fertilize, since they’re byproducts of animal husbandry, and can save you money compared to store-bought fertilizer.

Tip! Some more expensive fertilizer spreaders can also apply lime to increase yield.

Well done!

Congratulations, you now know the most important facts about fertilizing. Take your time and start on the next lesson, when you’re ready. Stay with the Farming Simulator Academy and you become a top-notch virtual farmer in no time!