Description
The farm from Albrecht Finnema is located on the northern part of the Nether-lands, in the province Friesland. Albrecht Finnema is focussed on the chemical soil fertility of his grassland to get a higher yield. His fertilization plan is based on the ‘Albrecht-method’ (developed by the American soil expert William Albrecht).
The Albrecht method is an fertilization method based on the analyse of the soil for the elements magnesium, calcium and potassium. The idea is that the right proportions of these elements create a fertility soil for the grass. The focus for the fertilization is on the chemical proportions in the soil and not on the needs of the crop.
Reason for the innovation
Improvement of the yield trough focus on the soil fertility.
- Achievements: increasing the amount and the quality of the grass production
- Constraints: sub-optimal machinery for bringing the manure on the land (injecting the manure).
- Results: improved soil fertility, less use of fertilizer (KAS), increasing yield, positive balance for the element phosphate
Farm description
Environment
- Soil: Clay, peat
- Climate: Temperate oceanic
- Altitude: ±sea level
- Slope: flat
Grassland management
- Grazing: Yes
- Grazing management: Rotational combined with zero grazing
- Length of grazing period: 7 months/year
- Main composition grassland: Red and white clovers, meadow fescue, Perennial ryegrass
Structure
- Annual work units (AWU): 1
- Agricultural Area 116 ha UAA
- Permanent grassland 95 ha
- Natural grassland 21 ha
- Production method Conventional
- Stock
- 210 dairy cows
- 100 young stock
- Breed Holstein-Friesian
Animal performance
- Milk production: 8800 kg/year
Why it is working
The innovation is successful on this farm because:
- the interest of the farmer in the soil fertility.
- the need for better and more yield.
- the experience with the naturally grassland.
