How farmers make spring count
OPINION: Spring is a critical season for farmers – a time when the right decisions can set the tone for productivity and profitability throughout the year.
New targeted approaches for nitrogen and phosphate applications are being studied in Ballance Agri-Nutrients' $32 million research programmes.
The work is part of the Clearview Innovation programme which includes projects that will help farmers decide where on-farm to apply nutrients for maximum benefit and minimal loss.
"There is a definite shift towards regional councils requiring farmers to work within nutrient loss limits," says Ballance research and development manager, Warwick Catto.
"The work we have underway will help farmers decide exactly where on the farm would benefit most from nitrogen application, determined by different soils' response to it. It is a more targeted approach which means less nitrogen for more grass. What we want to do is increase nitrogen uptake efficiency from the usual 10:1 return to 15:1."
Catto says the work will also support highly targeted phosphate use.
"We know that for most farms, phosphate losses come from only 20% of the land area. With phosphate risk mapping, we can reduce those losses. That will enable 80% of the farm to gain from targeted phosphate applications and increase phosphate efficiency by 20%."
Ballance has contracts underway for $3 million of research under the Clearview programme, including spring field trials for nitrification inhibitors in the Waikato and Lower South Island.
Also being tested is improved biological controls for grass grubs which destroy pasture, with the economic cost to the pastoral sector estimated at some $90 million. The trials are testing an easier to use formulation of Ballance's Bioshield, which combines zeolite with a soil bacteria serratia entomophila.
Catto says feedback from the farming community is that the programme is right on the money, because everyone wants to produce more, but with fewer environmental impacts.
"There's a lot of enthusiasm out there and people are keen to see the results of the work. We've moved very quickly to get the programme underway and we should see the results from these first contracts flow through in about 18 months."
He says the research will not only develop more sustainable products, but should be sustainable in itself.
"As products come to market and generate new revenue they will also generate new funding for further research."
Independent Waikato milk processor Tatua has set another new record for conventional farmgate milk price paid to New Zealand farmers.
OPINION: Environment Canterbury's (ECan) decision recently to declare a so-called “nitrate emergency” is laughable.
An early adopter of a 10-in-7 variable milking regime, the Lincoln University Demonstration Dairy Farm (LUDF) is tweaking the system this season in search of further boosting farm performance and profitability.
The dairy sector is in a relatively stable position, with strong milk price payout forecasts continuing to offset ongoing high farm costs, according to DairyNZ.
A shameless political stunt is how Federated Farmers is describing the Canterbury Regional Council decision to declare “a nitrate emergency” on the back of its latest annual groundwater quality survey.
Fonterra has delivered a fifth straight year of record organic milk price for farmer suppliers.
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