viewpoint
August 2015
with John Barnes – Managing Director
Profitability is important in any business and for dairy farmers it has gone from being of little concern last year to being of urgent concern this year. One cannot face a 60% drop in prices with any equanimity at all. And in spite of government and commentators universally dispensing calming words, the likes of which one should more appropriately use on a child, there is simply nothing in what they say. This is not a time to be calm and laid back. This is a time for action!!!!
Budgets must be cut and expenditure has to be re-aligned to reflect the new reality while all the while keeping the farm in safe hands… Yours!!!
What can we do, and where can we make change?
On most farms fertiliser is the second biggest cost centre after debt servicing and it is also our business so we will deal with it right up front. As an independent fertiliser company we have a small but growing percentage of the total market. We make our money by selling less fertiliser to more farmers rather than simply loading you up with excess product. We do it the old fashioned way; we grow our client base.
Therefore we believe it is our job to save you money on your fertiliser bill and that is what we do. We have said for years that farmers are losing enormous quantities of money by doing silly things that simply result in waste and expensive fertiliser literally disappearing down the drain. They call it leaching but we call it a wicked waste of your hard earned money. Simply put… YOU NEVER COULD AFFORD THIS. BUT AT TODAY’S PRICES IT WILL DRIVE YOU BROKE.
There is very good quality information going back to the 1980’s which shows that production can be held at present levels, even when a reduction in fertiliser inputs are made. The rationale behind this is very simple. Papers show, and it is now an accepted fact, that both nitrogen and phosphate leach through our soils. Fertiliser can and should be applied more strategically with different application methods for different products. It isn’t necessary or even desirable to apply 100% water soluble fertilisers in a wet period of the year or even on to irrigated pastures. Sustained release products will do an even more effective job than the old more widely used products available from the main suppliers.
There are both nitrogen and phosphate products available from Fertilizer New Zealand which will provide a steady sustained release of nitrogen and phosphate at a rate which will be absorbed by the plant but not wasted to ground water. The old methods currently in use rely on the soil being saturated with NPK in an effort to ensure that some will reach the root zone.
Twenty-first century products available now use the soil’s natural microbes, and where they have been destroyed have introduced microbes, to take the nutrients to the root system.
All of these new and cost effective products are available to our clients along with our expertise.
We are one of the very few companies who have the experience to positively lower your fertiliser costs and we have been doing it for years. Phone us and let us prove to you how much money we can save your farming enterprise.
Regional Roundup with Mark Blakemore
SOIL TEMPERATURES AND GRASS GROWTH
The frustration of slow pasture growth in early spring can be overwhelming. The growth looks like it should be away but not quite. This is almost the same every season. For some areas there is what could be called a false spring. It warms up a bit with the soil temperature often going up over the magical 8 degrees mark and there can be some spring growth. Then it goes cold again.
No amount of fertiliser can make up for low soil temperatures. There will be no growth, or at best slow growth. With a low pay-out season and a wet start to calving, we need to be even MORE careful than ever when it comes to using NPKS fertilisers sustainably. With soil temperatures currently on the coast between the 5 and 9 degrees, this really is a good time to consider putting N on in a liquid form. This can be added with our Actavize product which contains stickers to ensure that where it is sprayed it stays and doesn’t leach which will essentially actavize the soil for spring growth ahead. Instead of that typical 40-60kgs p/ha of Urea in a solid form, of which a good amount is leached, there could be some massive saving if 10-20kg p/ha is used and diluted as all will be taken up in the leaf and utilised straight away for the growth that is needed for the second round rotation in most cases.
I look forward to seeing you soon and working with you in this challenging season ahead to make sure that every dollar spent is used wisely in order to minimise unnecessary costs on top of those “put more on” costs.
FOLIAR FERTILISATION – Cost Effective
Our focus has always been around saving money and efficiency. Often we are asked about the science behind our practices.
The following is a Foliar Fertilisation article by Robert Dixon. The study showed foliar fertilisation is more efficient and reduces potential environmental impact.
Isotope studies have shown that the quantity of soil-applied nitrogen (N) failing to get into a crop can range from 85 percent in the worst case to 38 percent in the best. By contrast foliar-applied N can be up to seven times more efficient than soil-applied N. Other benefits of foliar-applied N include lower application rates (higher efficiency) plus the relative ease of obtaining timely uniform application. A combination of soil-applied and foliar applied N is the best management practice to reduce the potential for nitrates in groundwater.
Research has shattered the belief that only roots absorb nutrients. The use of radioactive and isotopically tagged nutrients has confirmed that plants can be fed through their leaves. Foliar N, in particular, is absorbed through other green tissue and soft woody tissue including stems, buds, blossoms, and fruit. Loss pathways for foliar applied nutrients are few, but they are many with soil applications.
At Fertilizer NZ we have always believed that our foliar fertiliser range of products will achieve desired results while leaving very small environmental foot prints.
Actavize as a colloidal suspension fertiliser will deliver elements into a plant quickly and efficiently, while any product which enters the soil will enhance the biological eco system. It has been shown to improve animal health by balancing the mineral intake.
Our seaweed product VerteSea provides the soil with a range of nutrients which we all have become familiar with from the sea, including a range of naturally occurring growth promotants to aid strong healthy growth.
Our VerteBlack was designed to reinforce one of the building blocks of the soil which is carbon. This can be depleted with the over use of some acid fertilisers.
For quick effective pasture response our liquid range will work for you.