Farming Simulator 19 – Fertilizing and Weeding Tips

Fertilizing

Fertilization progress can be monitored on the map, if you’re not sure of the field’s condition.

Fertilization is an important activity for increasing the yields from a given field. After each harvest, the fertility of soil returns to its basic level. You can fertilize the field before the sowing/planting stage. You can only fertilize again at each subsequent plant growth stage. For maximum efficiency, fertilize the field twice: preferably during sowing/planting and at any stage of plant growth – but before they are ready for harvest. Farming Simulator 19offers many possibilities to improve the condition of your fields:

• Liquid fertilizers – you can buy them in the shop on large pallets. This type of fertilizer systems are often quite expensive, but they offer the greatest area of effect and speed of action.
• Artificial fertilizers, loose fertilizers – this technology is used by many seeders and planters, which can fertilize fields at the same time. These machines also need to be refilled in advance from pallets purchased in the shop. This is the best method early in the game: simple, common and relatively cheap.
• Slurry and manure – produced by cows and pigs as a by-product. For their distribution you need special machines, which you will find in the shop.
• Digestate – if you acquire silage (place the collected grass in a pile, whisk and wait for it to ferment; wrap bales of grass or hay and wait for the silage), you can deliver it to the Biomass plant. It will earn you money and you will be able to acquire digestate to fill the slurry tanks.

Oilseed radish is the cheapest and simplest method of fertilization. Use a seeder to plant the radish. When it grows, use a cultivator (preferably with a seeded) to destroy the radish that will enrich the soil. This method is the cheapest because it only costs you seeds. Additionally, you can “destroy” the radish already in the first stage of its growth – when the first leaves appear.

Weeding

Weeds can sprout on your field at any time.

Farming Simulator 19 introduces a small handicap: weeds appear on your fields over time. Use a weeder to dispose of them. Another option is chemical spraying: most spraying machines can be loaded with artificial fertilizer or herbicide. (both available on pallets in the shop)

• If you allow the weeds to grow in your field until harvest, the yield will be reduced by 20%.
• Important: Weeds can only be removed during the first stages of plant growth – once the crops are ready for harvest, none of the methods yield results.
• Remember that if you drive across a field where the plants have reached at least the second growth phase, you are destroying the plants. You can disable this parameter in the game options or use vehicles with narrow tires; you can equip most tractors with them.
• Tip 1: If weeds appear on a field you have not yet sown, both cultivation and ploughing will destroy the weeds. In an empty field, you don’t have to use either spraying or weeder.
• Tip 2: if weeds are too much for you, you can also disable them in the game options.