Potato growers eye innovation, growth
OPINION: As we look back on the past year, I am proud to reflect on the remarkable progress and achievements that have defined our success.
A New Zealand developed and manufactured nitrogen efficiency booster is growing in popularity in China where it is used to improve potato crop production.
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.
“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.
Farmlands says that improved half-year results show that the co-op’s tight focus on supporting New Zealand’s farmers and growers is working.
Horticulture New Zealand (HortNZ) says that discovery of a male Oriental fruit fly on Auckland’s North Shore is a cause for concern for growers.
Fonterra says its earnings for the 2025 financial year are anticipated to be in the upper half of its previously forecast earnings range of 40-60 cents per share.
Beef + Lamb New Zealand (B+LNZ) is having another crack at increasing the fees of its chair and board members.
Livestock management tech company Nedap has launched Nedap New Zealand.
An innovative dairy effluent management system is being designed to help farmers improve on-farm effluent practices and reduce environmental impact.
OPINION: Ruth Richardson, architect of the 1991 ‘Mother of all Budgets’ and the economic reforms dubbed ‘Ruthanasia’, added her two…
OPINION: Why do vegans and others opposed to eating meat try to convince others that a plant based diet is…