Safe Fertilisers Newsletters - January to April 2011

Message from Les and Patti

Ian amazing paradox, the recent floods have devastated some land and crops, and also brought long awaited benefits for others. The sad loss of loved ones can never be overcome. It may take some time, but affected farms will eventually return to normal. On the bright side of the recent rains, the dams are full and the water tables replenished.

The key to the future of farming in those areas is careful management. Now could be the time to investigate a strategy for the implementation of sustainable farming, and eliminate the need for the steroid type of fertilisers. Some governments are now calling for the cessation of chemical farm inputs to protect our valuable environmental assets. The Queensland Government is particularly concerned about the health of the Great Barrier Reef. The first step is easy: talk to Safe Fertilisers agronomist, Neville Janke, or an Alroc agent in your area.

The Four M's of Farming

Whether it is a gift from nature or human management, there is only one way to build rich, friable soil and that is with the four M's. Anyone with any doubts can just go into a rainforest and examine the soil. That soil that has had no human intervention, and is rich, friable and sweet smelling can grow huge trees and a diverse understory is a combination of the following ingredients - the four M's:

Mineral fertiliser is a stable, non-leaching combination of different types of mineral rock.
It will stay in the soil for years and is worked on by microbes to render it bio-available to the feeder roots of plants. Safe Fertilisers usually blend the crushed rocks with soluble fertiliser for fast results, however, the long term benefit is also there as a bonus.

Moisture is in great supply currently.
Now is the ideal time and opportunity to add mineral fertiliser and microbes to your soil. Huge tracts of Australia have just received monumental rains and flooding in some areas, and all of that moisture can be used to great advantage.

Mulch is generated on most farms, e.g. grain operations produce stubble and cane farms produce trash, both of which should be ploughed in.

Microbes can be present in soil, but to ensure an adequate proliferation, they can be boom sprayed onto the moist soil.
Good and inexpensive soil activators include Vital Activator and N-Rich, and for the organic growers, Activ-S. Nature works its magic with these four M's and turns them into humus. Humus is a colloid (rather like jelly), black in colour and sweet smelling. It will not be leached or evaporated out, and the inherent, nutrient-rich components will nourish plants via their feeder roots right through to harvest.

On The Road With Neville Janke

Biologically active systems provide quality returns', was the take home message from the line up of speakers with exceptional nutritional experience and knowledge. Farmers appreciated the hands on approach of the '8 Steps to Improvement' for their individual operations.

I visited Agchem, in the beautiful Fijian island group, late last year. Agchem is one of our agents, which is promoting Alroc Mineral Fertilisers throughout Fiji. Ben Nand of Agchem guided me through the different areas of food production and research stations, as well as tobacco and sugar cane farms. The thirst for knowledge on how to grow better crops, from all the people we met, was just the same as we experience here in Australia.

2010 was a very trying year for some, and as one cane farmer put it, "I stayed up on New Year's Eve just to make sure 2010 was finished". Kevin Mann of Home Hill wrote this to me, "The Sugar mills were only able to get off the crop to about 70% and we only managed to harvest about 60%. We were in the path of nearly every shower of rain across the season. Any results I have from this season are very skewed and would not give a fair comparison on CCS or tonnage. Blocks were cut over weeks, and not days, and the sugar variance from start to finish had some large gaps in the numbers. The differences were too big to be normal. The only advantage we have is that our crop will grow on to next year, weather permitting. I feel for the producers in the southern half of the state as some have gone through an absolute shocker and still are".

The New Year has dawned, and with it has come more flooding. In some places rivers have peaked two weeks running, The loss, devastation and heartache are the sad part of any natural disaster. We now focus on rebuilding and new growth in every trade and business. On a positive note the rivers are full, and underground tables and wells are replenished. All this takes away some of the dark cloud and reveals the bright sunshine.

Farmers are set to take advantage of the best start for a winter season in years with full profiles of moisture, dams brimming and rivers running like the blood in your veins, pumping the life-giving energy into every vital system. Many growers I have spoken to talk of the plan to remineralise the soil before planting this year are now taking advantage of increased soil moisture levels. Some paddocks of wheat stubble have been direct drilled with mung beans using OAP Supablend as a starter and the response is just magic.

Eight Steps to Improvement: The Farm Plan

Step 1: Soil Testing
A reliable Soil Test with a report is the first step to improving any soil. Safe Analytical Laboratories measures the elements that are essential to plant nutrition, pH levels, etc. These factors are indicators of nutrient availability and the potential of the soil to produce crops, CEC (Cation Exchange Capacity) is the measure of soil's ability to hold and store nutrient. Always assess the organic matter and carbon levels in soil, which sustain the life within soil. Last, but not least, measure the EC (Electrical Conductivity), which is the total amount of charged particles in the soil solution, An old saying goes, "If you don't measure it, how do you manage it"?

Step 2: Crop Management
For summer crops or winter crops, Crop rotation is always a good thing to break any pest/disease cycle, and helps to open soil structure and build carbon levels, Check on the rainfall data - when rains are expected and when the hot dry times are noted, Does this soil have the moisture holding capacity to grow the intended crop?

Step 3: Grazing Management
How many hectares are available for stock? Can a stock rotation program be worked into the operation? Are the water points accessible to work a rotation? Pasture species - are they winter or summer dominant? Rotation can assist in the control of weed pressures or pest problems, Increase the benefits of pasture by growing perennial grasses and cereals together, The improvement of soil structure through the application of mineral fertiliser assists roots to stimulate the microbial activity, Pasture is , one of the best carbon sequencers; it converts CO2 into carbon for the soils, This, together with soil microbes, enhances photosynthetiC potential, thus producing a greater volume of pasture,

Step 4: The Fertility Step
Feed the soil and it will grow the crop, The Soil Report will assist in the decisions on which fertiliser to use, when to apply, how much to apply and the critical timing part: at ground preparation, pre-plant, at planting, in crop or tollat Use the Safe Fertilisers consultant to help make these decisions, Many options are available: granular or foliar fertiliser; or is a custom blend what is required? Do I grow a green manure crop, and how much organic matter is needed? Many questions have simple solutions in order to grow a good crop - just ask a Safe Fertilisers consultant!

Step 5: Machinery
Some machines can cause soil structure problems, lead to erosion patches and cause compaction. Have your soil checked for structure, slaking or dispersing, as many soils are ancient, strongly weathered and infertile, This can have an effect on the tilth developed for a seed bed, The choice of machines to be used, when the nature of the soil that is being farmed is understood, can enhance the potential crop growth,

Step 6: The Tractor
The power to perform the duties required is integral to good farming practice, Too big or too small often compromises the crop potential. Compaction is a big problem - most times the tractor is too big or there is very little organic matter in the soil. The condition of soil plays a big part in the effect of a tractor doing its job in towing the plough, Assess the power needs for the size of farm and the job to be done, The fertility of soil has a big bearing on the needs for power to perform the farm tilling,

Step 7: Recreational Tillage or Spraying
Non-essential time filling, Farm management decisions on when to plough or when to spray are some of the most critical a farmer will make, If unsure, ask the questions when faced with these decisions, Should I really spend my spare time engaging in these tasks? What is the best option? Would I be better off taking a rest when there are Issues like: too wet, too dry, too much wind, too hot or cold, rain predicted, no soil moisture left, the weeds are getting away, there are pests, etc? If in doubt, free advice is never far away, call your Safe Fertilisers consultant.

Step 8: Harvest Time
Reaping the rewards of the decisions made, and the kindness of the natural weather systems, Some options can provide the extra cream - can the crop be harvested on the green side and dried, do we spray it out, is a contractor required or does the farm control the harvesting equipment, is storing the crop waiting for a good price an option? A fine line exists between quality returns and a disaster, Remember that the fertility of the soil has a large bearing on the quality at harvest.

Safe Fertilisers Newsletters - December 2010

Message from Les and Patti

We know that if the Birdsville Cup is washed out that Australia is getting an awful lot of rain! This augers well for future bumper harvests. However, we should spare a thought for all the soil inputs that have been leached down river and the enormous financial loss to those affected growers. This is one of the very good reasons to change to rock mineral fertiliser, with minimal loss during heavy rainfall and lower input costs. Apart from the financial rewards and the ecological benefits, there is the long term bonus of improved soil structure with non- erodible humus, which is the ultimate plant food.

Granular vs Foliar for Soil and Plant Nutrition

Many questions have been asked about the best way to fertiliser. "Do I apply some granular or do I use a tollar?" The way forward is to look at the benefits for each application, and then apply the fertiliser suited for your soil and plant needs.

Benefits of Granular Nutrition: SAFE Fertiliser granular blends that both feed the soil and provide plant nutrition, reduce the effect of depleting the soil of nutrients. With a full spectrum of nutrients in the soil, the plant has the ability to produce to its full yield capability. Applying nutrients in a granular form is the most cost effective way to build soil nutrient levels.

Benefits of Foliar Nutrition: This method enables the farmer to fine-tune and control the provision of nutrients directly to the plant. Foliar nutrition also allows for the timing of specific nutrients to target growth stages of the plant. Due to the direct availability of nutrition, foliar fertilising enhances the quality of the produce whilst improving the overall health of the plant, allowing it to build up a resistance to pest and disease. Foliar fertiliser can be used to counteract adverse soil conditions and to stimulate the plant to take more nutrients through the roots. Liquid nutrients are easy to apply over the top of plants, via a boom spray or irrigation system, and through flood or trickle lines.

Report from Rohan Kingham of "Dalblair".

Due to the low price of grain over the past 5 years, the cattle herd has expanded as the grain growing has decreased. The increasing price of the inputs needed to grow crops (especially fertiliser) was a determining factor in reducing the amount of grain produced. Every year the agronomist was telling us to increase our fertiliser applications of nitrogen and phosphorus, and our crop yields were staying the same. This meant we were spending more money to achieve the same return. I constantly maintained that the crop yields were always determined by the one element that was most limiting, and it didn't matter how much nitrogen you put on your crop if it wasn't that limiting factor. I always thought it was rainfall and I would not know till later that there were other elements that were just as limiting. Another issue I often asked the agronomist about was why 10 years ago we would plant a crop and walk away from it until harvest time without a problem. Now we face crop nutrient deficiencies, pests (such as aphids), army worms and fungus attacks (such as strip rust and net blotch). The only answer the agronomists could give us was that these were due to better crops being grown. Better for what?

Three years ago the Elias family purchased Dalblair and Steve Elias showed me a pamphlet from Les Dyne (a good friend of his). Steve told me that Les was producing this fertiliser and to tell him what I thought of it. I thought it looked interesting and we should see if we could speak to someone about its merits. Then came my first meeting with Neville Janke who I now regard as the most knowledgeable person I have talked to about fertilisers, and plant and soil nutrition. Upon our first introduction I had said that he was- just another snake oil salesman selling fertiliser and he would need to do some strong convincing to get us to use this fertiliser! After about 2 hours of questions and answers Neville had not only convinced me of this fertiliser, but converted me to his way of thinking. All these years we had been doing things back to front. We had been feeding the plants when we should have been feeding the soil.

Since then, we have been using SAFE Fertiliser on our grain and fodder crops, as well as on our native and improved pastures. Our first use of the fertiliser didn't give us greater yields, but produced the same yields with less fertiliser in a balanced mineral blend. This blend was cheaper and had given us the same outcome. We slowly started noticing small changes. We always grow forage sorghum and usually the crop would start to show signs of running out of nitrogen and nutrients after two heavy grazes at the end of summer. The agronomist would always say that we had to put on more nitrogen as the forage would start to yellow and go stripey. I would say that we only have a month or two of grazing left, so I could not justify the cost. After a year of using the mineral blend on the forage, we would wait again for the yellowing to appear late in the season. But this time it didn't appear! The crop remained healthy right up to the first frost. That same year We applied mineral blend to our barley crops.

Come harvest time, the season had cut out and the yields were down in the whole district, as were ours, Interestingly though, the neighbors were all complaining the protein was even too low for the barley to be graded as malt. I thought ours would be the same until I got it tested to find it had been accepted as malt. The crop had only done 1 % better for protein than the district, but that was enough to get it into malt and a $40 per tonne premium.

On The Road With Neville Janke

However, the banana prices are down and the quality in the sugar cane is low due to the effects of a very wet . start to the year, which has taken its toll as the crops go to harvest. The sugar mill at Babinda had only seven days of production in four weeks and there is more rain on the way. The very wet winter this year has seen lower sugar levels. There is some good news! I visited a number of demonstration plots that I have been involved with and, as the photograph shows, the cane is ready to harvest. It was very interesting to observe the extra canes per stool and the increased thickness of the stem in those areas that are on a program with mineral fertiliser and reduced nitrogen. It will be very interesting to see the difference in yield and sugar levels at harvest.

Inspecting the turf at the Hillside Turf operation was rewarding. The results can be seen from reducing the chemical use and building organic carbon levels to produce good strong turf ready for market. Ivan and Jason have been following a program to build up the mineral levels in the soil to reduce the fungus and disease problems associated with a very high rainfall and humid conditions in the Proserpine area. Ivan says the results are fantastic as he has reduced the spraying of fungicide and has strong turf with no wastage. Jason says there is a bit of money left in the bank so that is a real positive. John Sweet organised two full days of looking at farming operations and assisting farmers to improve operations in line with Reef Rescue. We talked with groups and presented the easy steps to incorporating minerals into each operation with little disruption to their agricultural program.

Farmers were impressed with the ease of application and the ability to hold nitrogen close to the root zone whilst giving the plant a full nutrient package. The plant then uses natural carbon in the process of producing sugar. The tour of farms opened the eyes of growers to the simple truths that have been lost in the chemical world; minerals are the foundation to life, and that it is cost effective to grow healthy, good quality food.