April 2014

VIEWPOINT

with John Barnes, Managing Director – April 2014

We Are Part Of An Agricultural Powerhouse

Last month I expressed my pleasure at seeing farmers receiving some realistic prices for agricultural exports, which is a nice change in historical terms. This led me to thinking how important agriculture is to this lovely country of ours. With the Government putting a heavy emphasis on other products of a more technical nature you would assume that they would now be playing a part in our exporting figures. However we are still close to 70% reliant on agriculture for our existence. That includes fish as well as land based agriculture. The big mover of course over the years is wine which has been a stand out success and was just a tiny industry only thirty years ago.

Where we go from here is the big question but you would have to bet on agriculture. The next question is… what will be happening in agriculture, and can we keep ahead of the rest of the world. A news report this week from Rabobank says that the South American countries, Central Europe and parts of Asia are catching up to us in the competitiveness stakes. If that is indeed the case, and we have heard that before, then there is only one place to go and that is down the road of quality. Quality of course means traceability and sustainability which are a couple of words that give us pause for thought, but we need to embrace them.

Here at Fertilizer New Zealand we have the products that will give farmers all the sustainability credentials that they could wish for, plus the quality. Quality grass gives a quality product. And further than that we can give farmers back their price advantage, or as Rabobank calls it, their competitiveness.

But back to our exports… we are backing agriculture now and into the future because our farmers have always met all the challenges that the world can dish out and they will continue to do so. Fertilizer New Zealand is equally up for the challenge and we look to continuing the partnership with our farmers in this great industry that is the backbone of our country.

Improving Your Soil Structure
VitaLife’s range of bacteria-based growth enhancers have been trialled extensively in Australia and South-East Asia. The results show significant improvement in both productivity and plant disease resistance.

To make sure we are continually effective and innovative we need to be creative and look for new and better ways to lift production. New Zealand agriculture has better machinery, just go to any big agricultural show to see their advances. It is impressive.

But when it comes to fertilisers, the advances are not so apparent. Many of the products used today were developed years ago. Super phosphate, the backbone of our phosphate products was developed in the mid 1800’s. I believe it is time to look at other phosphate products which will work just as well and in some cases maybe better both for the plant and the soil environment.

It is interesting that many countries have found different ways to feed both the soil and the plants. It was reported in the USA for example, 30% of applied fertilizers are applied as a liquid.

VitaLife Magnesium is an innovative product which has been sold in the South Island since before 2002. It was designed to address some of the issues which were facing farmers in the 1990’s. Some of these issues were:

• compacted soils
• poor root development
• run out pasture
• lack of magnesium in the leaf and animals

The first two – compacted soils and poor root development are in part due to a lack of carbon and organic matter in the soil. Without these two important ingredients, soil will not be able to house the vital living beings, usually called microbes in the soil.

So how does all this work? In our VitaLife range of products, there are a variety of microbes. These microbes perform different functions. Over the next few months we will take an overall look at how they work. Soils are made up from a variety of material including sand, clay, peat and silt. Depending on the blends of these materials will determine the type of soil on your property. Even then there will be a variety of soil types over a single farm.

Within these soils will dwell a range of living beings, most too small to see, even under an average microscope. N.C. State University tell us there are 50 billion microbes in one tablespoon of soil. The majority of these living beings are made up of bacteria and fungi. All these beings need a “home” to live in which will need:to include a food source, moisture content, and required soil temperature. This type of material is usually humus and organic matter, which is what soil biology is about.

Here are some quick facts about soil biology:

• The tips of small plant roots move through the soil with a twisting motion.
• Although the soil surface appears solid, air moves freely in and out of it. The air in the upper 20 cm’s of a well-drained soil is completely renewed about every hour.
• Plants growing in a two acre wheat field can have around 50 thousand kilometres of roots, greater than the circumference of the Earth.
• Soil can act as a sink or source of greenhouse gases.
• Earthworms move soil from lower strata up to the surface and move organic matter from the soil to lower layers. Where earthworms are active, they can turn over more than 100 tons per acre per year.
• One cup of fertile topsoil may hold as many bacteria as there are people on Earth.
• We know more about the movement of celestial bodies than about the soil underfoot.

But I digress.

Back to VitaLife… VitaLife contains a range of microbes which will lead to a healthy soil. This is because of the range of microbes we inoculate into the carbon in VitaLife. These microbes will:
Break down the thatch and dry matter on the soil surface turning this into humus in the soil.
Improve the microbial activity in the soil by releasing beneficial microbes contained in VitaLife.
As the humus levels lift this creates a greater storage capacity for nutrients and moisture.
Because of a greater storage capacity the plant can take up more nutrients making it stronger and more vigorous.
As a result of all this, the plant will be more resistant to pests and diseases.
Because some of these microbes digest phosphate and then store it in their bodies, phosphorus is held in the soil in a sustainable manner.
Magnesium is added to VitaLife which will then help in many ways:

• It will help lift the pH making available a range of elements.
• Help in the nitrogen cycle in the soil.
• It will help in animal health – especially in Spring

For a cost-efficient, proven way of creating soil health and animal health call us today!