A NORTH Yorkshire farmer is through to the finals of a national competition.

Nick Ward, who farms 172 hectares at West Harlsey, near Northallerton, is one of six finalists vying for the 2002 Nitram Award, run jointly by Terra Nitrogen and Farmers Weekly to promote best farm business practice. He also carries out fertiliser spreading and spraying on a further 280ha.

Mr Ward is a firm believer in achieving a high and efficient output to maximise profitability, alongside a high level of environmental responsibility to protect long-term food safety and consumer confidence.

"We are first and foremost a business that strives to remain profitable, but this must include the right balance between economic production and environmental considerations," he said.

"In terms of fertiliser use, this means monitoring crop requirements and applying inputs on a field-by-field basis, according to all the variables involved."

Those variables include previous and current cropping, including the variety being grown, soil type, nutrient indices and an allowance for any farmyard manure used. Drilling dates will also be taken into account, as will yield potential, fungicide, growth regulator use and - very significantly - the target market for the crop.

Assessment on the basis of all that information allows Mr Ward to tailor inputs by field, and to maximise crop performance without wastage and the excess that is ultimately a threat to the environment.

Cropping at West Harlsey is now based on a wheat/beans/wheat/barley/rape rotation, which avoids second wheats and provides a good weed break.

Knowing precisely what to apply is crucial but Mr Ward also understands the need to spread it accurately. To this end he employs textbook management in terms of product choice, spreader maintenance, calibration and timing.

"We keep records of the product, application rate and spreader settings for every field, so that we can refer back when required," said Mr Ward. "This can be a useful guide but we will make decisions based on circumstances on a given day."

It is this level of record keeping and analysis which has convinced Mr Ward to use SP5-rated fertilisers wherever possible.

The winner of the 2002 Nitram Award will be announced at next month's Royal Show.