The dirt on soil: Why healthy soil matters
OPINION: Every year, December 5 marks World Soil Day. This date wasn’t chosen at random, it’s the birthday of the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand, a passionate advocate for soil stewardship.
In 2022, the ministry advised that all fertiliser products containing an inhibitor used in New Zealand would require registration, following increased use of inhibitors to manage environmental impacts.
Ballance general manager of customer Jason Minkhorst says achieving the registration gives confidence to farmers and growers that SustaiN has been rigorously assessed as meeting the safety and efficacy criteria for approval.
“It confirms the data we have around safety of the product in terms of impacts on food chain, animal safety and plant risks, is sound.
“SustaiN is well proven in the market, and it’s been great to see farmers and growers increase their use of inhibitor-based fertiliser to help mitigate environmental impacts of nitrogen loss,” he says.
Minkhorst adds that typically, when farmers apply urea, they need to wait until the optimal amount of rain has fallen to avoid nitrogen volatilising into ammonia gas.
“The inhibitor in SustaiN slows down the natural process that causes volatilisation and helps increase pasture yield as the nitrogen is getting where it needs to go, instead of being released into the air.
“SustaiN is perfect for this time of year when our customers face patchy rain. Using SustaiN helps our farmers make nutrient use count and optimises the response when working within limits and best practice.”
Products that are already in-market have a registration deadline of July 2026, and each trade name product must be registered separately.
Ballance is now working through the next phase of the registration process for other relevant fertilisers as well as ongoing renewal requirements with the ministry.
SustaiN was launched in 2005 as one of the first inhibitor fertilisers available in New Zealand. Farm trials have shown using SustaiN can reduce ammonia loss via volatilisation by fifty per cent, as well as increase pasture or crop yields.
Currently thousands of tonnes of SustaiN are sold each year to farmers and growers around New Zealand, making it one of the most used fertilisers in the country.
SustaiN is recognised in the national greenhouse gas inventory as a nitrous oxide mitigation and reduction technology.
