Precision N application test costs 'outweigh returns'
Precision application of nitrogen can improve yields, but the costs of testing currently outweigh improved returns, according to new research from Plant and Food Research, MPI and Ravensdown.
Demand from Chinese crop farmers for the N-Boost has been a boon for sales according to Donaghys general manager crop protection and export Tim O’Sullivan.
O’Sullivan and Donaghys chief executive Jarred Marfell recently visited resellers and growers across China in key cropping regions of Inner Mongolia and Beijing provinces to see how the product was being used in market.
“Chinese farmers have been using N-Boost as a biostimulant on large scale potato crops and other smaller market garden applications for Chinese medicinal herbs. They’re using N-Boost to enhance nitrogen utilisation efficiency.
“Our partner in market, Adama, hosted us on the tour. They have been carrying out a range of trials on farms with N-Boost. The farms we visited were very pleased with the results to date. Potato crops receiving N-boost were well ahead of control plots using conventional nitrogen application.
“Adama is one of our largest customers for N-Boost, which is a patented formulation developed to increase nitrogen uptake from plants. They are very excited about the product’s potential to support more sustainable farm practices in China.”
Globally, N-Boost is used in the North American market in Costa Rica and sales are growing in South Africa.
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“We have cropping farmers in the USA using N-Boost, with one farmer – Randy Dowdy – claiming the soybean world record for yield of 12.8 tonnes/ha in the 2019 Georgia soybean production contest.
“Donaghys N-Boost is a proven addition to a fertiliser programme that helps lift production, while lowering urea application.”
In New Zealand, dairy farmers are Donaghys main customers of N-Boost.
“We are seeing cost-conscious dairy farmers turning to foliar applications of urea. When N-Boost is added, they can cut back their application rates this way to get under the N-cap while lifting their dry matter production. It is a cost-effective strategy to maintain milk solids.”
N-Boost is a patented formulation that contains adenine compounds and amino acids.
