Winter 2015In this edition• Be smart with your nitrogen

spend this winter

• Soil biology

• Moisture in BioAgPhos

• Horticulture - A new approach to phosphorus pays dividends

• Carbon farming

• BioAg to be featured on Landline

Be smart with your nitrogen spend this winter

The challenge of maintaining winter pasture productivityMaintaining pasture productivity through the cold and wet months of winter and early spring, underpins the productivity and profitability of all pasture systems in Southern Australia.

Whilst the traditional approach of 2 to 3 applications of granular urea has typically provided dry matter production, we know the efficiencies aren’t there.

Published in the ‘Australian Soil Fertility Manual – CSIRO’ we can see just how ineffective granular urea can be through the winter months.

Percentage of surface applied nitrogen lost by volatilisation

Autumn Application Winter Application

Product After 4 Weeks After 7 Weeks After 4 Weeks After 7 Weeks

SOA 3.7 6.9 1.0 2.5

Urea 59.9 58.4 36.8 38.9

This table highlights the potential volatilisation losses from urea as being significant, and that sulphate of ammonia (SOA) is a better option to supply nitrogen to growing pastures.

The value of SOA with nitrogenWe shouldn’t underestimate the value of the sulphur from the SOA.

We know that sulphur is involved in the formation of amino acids and consequently protein. We also know that sulphur is leached from our soils during periods of high rainfall.

Combining sulphur with nitrogen for all winter applications just makes good agronomic sense.

In efforts to alleviate the nutrient availability and leaching issues stemming from cold and wet soils in winter, many growers are adopting foliar feeding of their pastures and crops.

Winter foliarsA number of BioAg dairy industry customers are now using foliar products as part of their overall nutrition program. Whilst the foliar program is tailored to suit each grower, the basis of the program is as follows;Balance & Grow 2.0 l/haSulsa or UAS 30 l/ha

This approach not only supplies the nitrogen and sulphur that we know is required by pastures during the winter months, but it also supplies the vitamins, minerals, proteins, amino acids, carbohydrates and plant hormones that the plant requires to convert this nitrogen and sulphur into true plant proteins.

A users viewpointBioAg customer John Archard of Murrabit in Victoria is using this type of program.

His feedback on this is ‘Anyone can grow grass in autumn and spring just by throwing nitrogen at them, where this system stands out is its ability to grow quality pasture from June to August’.

‘High protein and high ME feed is what keeps your milk volume and components up’.

BioAg is able to provide soil, leaf and petiole tests as part of a tailored nutrient program.

By Daniel Hill, Area Manager, Southern&

Western VIC & Tasmania

• Volatilisation losses from urea can be significant• The agronomic sense of combining sulphur with nitrogen for winter applications • How to use foliars to provide nitrogen, sulphur and more

‘This system stands out in its ability to grow quality pasture from June to August. High protein and high ME feed is what keeps your milk volume and components up’.-John Archard, Murrabit, Vic.

Soil BIOLOGY

As most people would be aware, we have changed our BioAgPhos supply from Egypt to Algeria, which meant changes to the physical characteristics of our product range.

A couple of noticeable changes are the colour, and the moisture holding capacity.

The new Algerian product, which looks more like black sand has been washed to take the fine dusty fraction out of it prior to shipping from Algeria. A benefit from this is that it holds much less moisture.

We recently had a concern brought to us about the moisture content of a load of BioAgPhos S10. Our area manager went on farm and collected several samples of the suspect product for analysis. The moisture range for this “wet rock” was between 4 and 5%, depending on the sample.

We have a maximum allowable moisture content for our solid products of 10%, and this has been in place for many years.

On a couple of occasions, the Egyptian rock had a moisture content above 10%. On these occasions, we provided a moisture compensation to correct it back to 5%. The Egyptian material was supplied mined, crushed and screened. Consequently is had a lot of fine particles, was dusty, and held

a lot of moisture. The Algerian rock does not appear to have this issue even though some loads look moist.

If you receive a load of product that you think is high in moisture, please contact your local area manager or our head office in Narrandera and report the concerns.

Our solids operation at Batesford Quarry is an outdoor one, and consequently we are exposed to the elements. If product is collected soon after a large rain event, it could be wet. We endeavour to load products that are within specification at all times so if you are concerned about a shipment of product you have received from BioAg, please give us a call.

If we are not invited back next year, then we have not done our job properly this year.

• Microbial based products, the next improvement to production • How microbiology assists the crop

By David Phelps, Area Manager, Southern NSW

Many experiences and learned behaviours from the last century would lead to the belief that the only good microbe is a dead microbe.

For good reason we do things, like washing our hands. When we are ill we are prescribed antibiotics.

However, not all microbes are harmful, and this is especially so in agriculture.

In the broader sense, modern research is simply refining the discoveries already made in pesticides, fertiliser and conventional plant breeding. The major break throughs have already been made in these fields, and incremental improvements that are now being sought.

The next increase to productionMany are now saying the next increments will come from the use of beneficial microbes.

For some this is already happening.

For the last 50 years, we have been coating legume seed with species strains of rhizobia bacteria to efficiently fix nitrogen into our crops and soil.

In agriculture, an industry that traditionally resists change, poor use of science by many who have pushed microbial-based products has set back wide industry adoption by 10 to 20 years.

In recent times, this has begun to change. Many national & international companies are now looking closely at soil biology and what benefits can be obtained to influence the yields and quality of our crops & pastures.

As an example, many grasses (such as ryegrass and tall fescue) and cereals can have their health and productivity improved by identifying and inoculating microbes back into the soil.

BioAg has been performing research and trials on this system using its product Soil & Seed for many years now.

How does soil microbiology work?The diagram gives an idea of some of the beneficiary organisms that naturally occur in healthy soils, and where they fit within the plant system.

Diazotrophic (bacteria)These live on and in leaves, in roots and in the rhizosphere around roots. They fix nitrogen and offer disease protection.

Azospirillium (bacteria)A nitrogen fixer that lives in the rhizosphere around roots.

Burkholderia australis (bacteria)A nitrogen fixer.

Free living rhizobia (bacteria)A nitrogen fixer.

VAM (Fungus)Short for vesicular arbuscular mycorrihiza, this fungi lives inside and outside of roots. It networks between themselves and other plants. Assists the plant by improving nutrient uptake, offers some pest and disease protection and encourages other beneficial microbes.

Epichloe Endophyte (fungi)This is species specific. Fungal species that were compatible to ryegrass and tall fescue were reintroduced commercially during the 1990’s and now over $30 billion dollars of agricultural production worldwide use them annually. These can live only inside their host. They assist the plant in repelling pests, disease, improve plant’s tolerance to drought and heat stress plus improve tillering and biomass.

There are likely thousands of yet undiscovered organisms available in the native environments. Restoring them into or beside our crops & pastures will offer many benefits.

A soil with healthy biological functions will produce healthy crops, food and livestock. Costs can be reduced (e.g. reduced need for fertiliser inputs, pest and weed control etc.) while producing comparable yield quantity, and greater quality.References: R Eccles, 2015, personal communication, 27 April. Knudsen, GR 2006, ‘Bacteria, Fungi and Soil Health’.

Moisture in BioAgPhos

Fig 1. Soil microbiology and how they interact with the plant.

Diazotrophic (bacteria)

Epichloe Endophyte (fungi)

VAM (fungi)

Azospirillium (bacteria)

Burkholderia australis (bacteria)

Free living rhizobia (bacteria)

HORTICULTUREA new approach to phosphorus pays dividends. By Tony Clancy.

Ciampa Produce, which annually grows more than 12,000 tonnes of onions has increased average yields from 80 tonnes/ha to 111 tonnes/ha over the past three years.

They believe an important contributor has been an improved fertiliser strategy. This included the introduction of BioAgPhos to the program in 2010 and demonstration of the value of a more consistent release of P over the growing season.

Phil Toy of BioAg says progressive operators like Ciampa Produce are reaping the rewards of putting measurement into their business and tracking inputs, outputs and the returns from investments.

In the Ciampa Produce case, measurements used to refine their strategies include routine fortnightly sap and petiole testing through the onion growing season.

Daniel Mead, first called on his brother Glen, director and agronomist with D&M Rural, to undertake a testing program to identify any barriers to healthy uninterrupted growth.

“For quality onions supplied to a discerning national market we seek good control of the variables in growth,” Daniel said.

“Soil and moisture conditions plus the weather of course come into the picture but we had been particularly interested in getting the nutrient supply right and with Glen’s services we were able to find peaks and troughs in phosphorus.”

The previous fertiliser program for P was primarily based on superphosphate. Glen ‘s testing identified P levels as being very high early in the life of the onion plants, followed by significant leaching away of the nutrient to form a trough. Responding with another superphosphate application to top up meant another peak in P followed by yet another trough.

“Introducing reactive rock phosphate, with less immediately available P, in a single early application as BioAgPhos, ironed out the peaks

and troughs,” Glen said. “We’ve taken out the leaching and variability and avoided going back to the crop for another application of phosphorus.”

Although the total cost of nutrient applications has been steady at about $500/hectare the new program based on measurement and the tracking of responses has meant improved performance.

Glen is satisfied about the agronomic benefits of BioAgPhos and believes that while there have been several factors contributing to the

improved performance, ranging from use of water retention products to soil and water management, this input is the one that can most clearly be correlated with the outcomes.

BioAgPhos has proven to be the ideal means of providing P through the length of the growing season, and it also provides this nutrient in the critical early stages when there is high demand for P.

Above: The difference between BioAgPhos and water-soluble fertilisers as sources of phosphorus. Far Left: Healthy growing conditions are evident even in naturally poor soil, as indicated by the moisture band and strong root growth of this soil which has been under a BioAg program since 2010. Left: Phil Toy shows the poor structure of soil that is largely unsuitable for cereals, yet able to support productive onion crops under irrigation and a carefully formulated nutrient program.

L to R. Daniel Mead of Ciampa Produce, with BioAg’s Phil Toy, and Glen Mead, Director of D&M Rural.

COMPANYCiampa Produce

LOCATIONKeith, Sth Aust.

CROP TYPEOnions

• Commenced using BioAgPhos as the source of phosphorus in 2010• 39% yield increase achieved in 3 years

Phosphorus AvailabilityWater soluble phosphates vs. BioAgPhos

Water solublephosphorus

BioAgPhos

Fertiliserapplication

Excess PWastage experienced

P deficiencyYield potential reduced

Desiredrange

Time after application(months)

Why was BioAgPhos chosen?- Low heavy metal content. - Sustained phosphorus release.- Very high P content (13%).- Non-leaching.

©Copyright BioAg Pty Ltd 2015 ®Registered trademarks of BioAg Pty Ltd, ™Trademark of BioAg Pty Ltd, ABN 58 086 880 211

Better soils. Better crops. Better stock.TM

®

For more information, phone 02 6958 9911 or visit www.bioag.com.au

carbon farming

BIOAG TO BE FEATURED ON LANDLINE

Landline on location at BioAg’s liquids manufacturing

plant in Narrandera, NSW.

On a cold Sunday in late June, or early July, the ABC’s Landline will be running a story on BioAg. Filming, at BioAg’s liquids manufacturing plant, and on location with some BioAg customers occurred in early May. We hope you can tune in.

The greatest impediment to plant production in Australia’s ancient soils, particularly in the grasslands, is the deficiency of important nutrients.

What is carbon farming?Carbon farming, as it has become known, is the conversion of atmospheric carbon, in the form of carbon dioxide gas (CO2) into plant-material. This process is known as photosynthesis.

This plant material, in the form of roots and shoots, then needs to be accumulated in soils, thereby raising soil organic carbon levels.

The entire process is properly described as the sequestration of atmospheric carbon into soils.

For carbon sequestration to occur, minimum soil disturbance is necessary in order to prevent existing soil carbon from oxidizing into CO2 and re-entering the atmosphere. In addition, it is necessary to maximize the capture and infiltration of rainfall where it falls in order to maximize the conversion of moisture into vegetative matter.

Therefore, maximising plant production in your pasture will maximise carbon sequestration.

The challengesThe greatest impediment to plant production in Australia’s ancient soils, particularly in the grasslands, is the deficiency of important nutrients.

The principal nutrient required to grow grass over and above those required for legumes is nitrogen, a nutrient that exists in

the atmosphere in abundance. The key to the fixation of large amounts of atmospheric nitrogen into soils is the prolific growth of legumes, in particular clovers and lucerne.

With the provision of a soil fertility environment that facilitates legume growth, and given acceptable soil nitrogen levels exist, those same nutrients will promote the proliferation of grasses.

What are the deficient nutrients? Calcium is deficient in all acid soils, a common trait of Australia’s grasslands.

We also experience excessive and sometimes toxic levels of iron, aluminium and potentially manganese. The most appropriate form of calcium to apply to these soils is aglime.

Aglime serves a variety of positive purposes. It supplies calcium that improves the structure of soils, and the liming effect reduces soil acidity that in turn reduces the availability of plant and nutrient antagonists iron, aluminium and manganese.

The next most important growth nutrients most commonly deficient are phosphorus and sulphur, and traditionally these deficiencies have been addressed with an annual application of single superphosphate (SSP).

We know that acid soils are generally moderate to highly antagonistic towards P in the soil solution, as occurs after SSP

is applied. Subsequently this water-soluble P is quickly bound up by free iron and aluminium ions into very tight iron and aluminium phosphate compounds, making that phosphorus no longer a plant-available nutrient.

Sulphur applied in sulphate form is readily leachable, particularly in higher rainfall environments.

The solutionGiven that calcium, phosphorus and sulphur are the most production limiting nutrients over much of pastoral Australia, our approach to meeting these nutrient requirements is to prescribe blends of:• Aglime for calcium, • BioAgPhos for phosphate (doesn’t lockup),

and• Gypsum or sulphur bentonite (S90) for

sulphur, in the form most appropriate to the situation.

These prescriptions are the most affordable, effective, production maximizing and sustainable combinations of nutrients, and can be readily blended on farm where sufficient scale exists. They maximise the amount of nutrient supplied for the money available.

Where fertiliser requires aerial application, BioAgPhos S10 is generally prescribed as a medium-high analysis combination of phosphorus and sulphur.

By Anton Barton, Managing Director, BioAg

• Maximising production will maximise carbon sequestration• Avoid phosphorus lock-up, and the leaching of sulphur