Foliar feeding 'lifts N efficiency'
Research findings published in Europe support the concept of foliar fertilisation or foliar feeding in improving nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) while maintaining pasture productivity.
Ballance Agri-Nutrients has launched SimplyFert, an ex-hub and therefore lower-cost offering said to give its shareholders choice and flexibility for purchasing nutrients.
The co-op says this is its second new service innovation this quarter, following the announcement of its Fixed Price Nitrogen last month.
Ballance says SimplyFert gives its shareholder access to quality fertiliser without the extra cost associated with Ballance's wider distribution network, nutrient specialist support and advice, or digital support and services through MyBallance, its online digital platform.
"We know that most of our shareholders value the full service that Ballance provides through our nutrient specialists, our digital solutions, world class supply chain and products developed for the NZ industry. There are some though, who, in some instances, don’t require the support and convenience of our full distribution network, or who may not want access to our full suite of services,” says Jason Minkhorst, general manager customer at Ballance.
“SimplyFert demonstrates our deep understanding of our shareholders’ evolving needs, whether that be on farm solutions or more recently, ways to provide more cost-effective nutrients on farm.”
SimplyFert will offer Ballance’s core products with a minimum order of 12 tonnes. Further, shareholders who purchase SimplyFert forgo the additional services Ballance offers, including the convenience of accessing fertiliser from the local service centre as they must pick up their fertiliser directly from Ballance’s hubs located at Mount Operations, Maru Street, Timaru and Awarua.
“We are really pleased that we’ve been able to offer our shareholders two new service offerings in the past few weeks. While we acknowledge that they may not work for all shareholders, these innovations will benefit the cooperative as a whole,” says Minkhorst.
Farmer-owned co-operative Ravensdown is winding down the operations of its agritech subsidiary C-Dax following a long decline in sales.
The recent East Coast Farming Expo, held over two days at Wairoa, offered an insight into the current state of agriculture on the east of the North Island, at a time when the locals are remembering the second anniversary of Cyclone Gabrielle.
A Research programme supported by Beef+Lamb NZ is investigating the potential of ‘accelerometer’ sensors for early detection of conditions such as facial eczema (FE) in sheep.
In the past year, the Farmer Time for Schools programme which seeks to connect New Zealand school students with farmers, has experienced further growth.
Fresh Carriers Co. Ltd (FCC) and Zespri have completed the first ever kiwifruit charter powered by a low-emissions fuel.
New Zealand lingerie brand Rose & Thorne is expanding its virtual bra fitting service in an effort to provide rural women in with better access to specialised advice.
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