increase font size
A crust-free effluent pond allows hasslefree irrigation of nutrients to paddocks.
Otorohanga farmer Grant Mitchell milks 176 cows once-aday throughout the year, so good grass growth is crucial.
To keep the grass growing, Mitchell has been tapping into “free fertiliser” from his effluent pond for the past 10 years.
Effluent is sprayed onto 7ha of the farm at a time and within a week the cows can graze that area.
To make sure that the effluent is easily irrigated, Mitchell says he has been using the Impact effluent treatment from Bioworks, pouring five litres of the product into the pond every month.
Mitchell built the 1200 cubic metre effluent pond in 2009. The pond became anaerobic not long after he started using it and a thick crust formed on top.
“There was even grass growing on top of the crusted pond,” he told Dairy News.
Irrigating the crusty effluent wasn’t easy, he says. Cows were also delaying their moving to grazing paddocks sprayed with the crusting effluent. The odour from the pond was also becoming an issue.
“You couldn’t put cows onto an irrigated paddock until about three weeks after the cannon had been in the paddock,” he says.
Mitchell started looking for solutions, settling on Impact because it is formulated to speed up the pond’s natural oxidation process.
“The crust went away leaving just green water in the pond. We put them in paddocks now and the cows are there next week munching away.
“There’s no need for a stirrer now, there’s no crust and Impact does its own job. We are getting green, mixed effluent going on the grass and it’s all rich fertiliser.”
Mitchell says the bad smell has gone away.
“When I look at the pond now, it’s just full of green water. I can see bubbles coming up and I know the bacteria are doing their stuff under water.”
Making An Impact
Results of treatment:
The arrival of new F8 and F9 designations for its 8000 and 9000 series forage harvesters, signals a swag of upgrades from John Deere, highlighted by topping the 1000hp mark for the first time.
Waikato-Bay of Plenty farmer Hugh Jackson recently secured this year’s FMG Young Farmer of the Year title in Invercargill.
Ashburton-based Carrfields has signed an agreement with Manitou to take over the distribution and retail rights for Manitou Agricultural Equipment covering the lower North Island and the South Island, effective August 1, 2025.
With June ending and following the most upbeat National Fieldays for several years, tractor dealers are reporting a lift in sales.
A Taupiri farming company has been convicted and fined $52,500 in the Hamilton District Court for the unlawful discharge of dairy effluent into the environment.
'Common sense' cuts to government red tape will make it easier for New Zealand to deliver safe food to more markets.
Balclutha farmer Renae Martin remembers the moment she fell in love with cows.
Academic freedom is a privilege and it's put at risk when people abuse it.
All eyes are on milk production in New Zealand and its impact on global dairy prices in the coming months.
Claims that some Southland farmers were invoiced up to $4000 for winter grazing compliance checks despite not breaching rules are being rejected by Environment Southland.
According to the most recent Rabobank Rural Confidence Survey, farmer confidence has inched higher, reaching its second highest reading in the last decade.
OPINION: The war of words between Southland farmers and Environment Southland over winter grazing inspections reflects a deep lack of trust…
OPINION: Milking It understands a formal disciplinary process is being conducted by Victoria University of Wellington on what one of…
