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Biostimulants increase yield
For the past four years, BioAg Agronomist and Area Manager Pete Emerson has been conducting a large-scale biostimulants demonstration with a grower near Brocklesby, southern NSW. The innovative grower is keen to explore ways to combat soil constraints and improve crop yield.
Soil-nutrient relationships
Nutrients, such as calcium and magnesium, may be supplied to plants solely from reserves held in the soil. Others like phosphorus and nitrogen are added regularly to soils as fertiliser to be withdrawn as needed by crops.
Getting the soil balance right
Dhami Singh, originally from the Punjab region of India, has always been passionate about farming. After immigrating to Australia, he now leads a team of 14 people in Shepparton Victoria, growing 200 acres of zucchini under contract. With a master’s in mathematics, Dhami is not your typical zucchini farmer.
Biostimulants to the rescue – enhancing fertiliser efficiency
Nitrogen Use Efficiency (NUE) is the term used to describe the effectiveness of nitrogen uptake by plants, whether it be nitrogen latent in the soil, sequestered from the air, or applied as fertiliser.
Challenging terrain
Since the 1950s, fertiliser and ameliorants have been spread using planes and more recently helicopters. In hilly and remote terrain this is common, allowing farmers better use of more of their land. While sometimes it isn’t easy to locate someone to do aerial spreading, at BioAg, we know some long-term experienced operators who can do the job!
Building sustainability into our business
‘Doing things better’ is a key value for BioAg. This extends to building sustainability into our products and business processes through harnessing innovation and new technologies.
Impactful results even in challenging seasons
In BioAg’s Winter/Spring Newsletter 2022, we wrote about a leading Australian wine producer seeking ways to improve the yield and quality of their organically grown grape crop. BioAg readily accepted this opportunity/challenge and has been working with the producer in their Riverina vineyards over the last 3 years. We are now pleased to provide the results and
analysis undertaken on the Demonstration site.
Just a Trace – Micro in nature, but MIGHTY in impact.
The name ‘Trace Elements’ does little to highlight the importance of these powerhouse ‘micronutrients’ to crops, pastures and stock health. ‘Trace’ referring to ‘only present or only required in minute quantities.’
Distributor Spotlight – Ag Warehouse Bega
BioAg products have been well supported on the south coast of NSW for many years. Ag Warehouse recently purchased Bega Agricultural Services to become Ag Warehouse Bega.
What Rock Phosphate really Rocks? BioAgPhos vs other Rock Phosphates
Phosphorus (P) is one of the important nutrients for plant growth. It is vital for seedlings and young plants as it is a component of plant cells, essential for cell division and development of the growing tip of the plant.
Liquid Boosts for Permanent Plantings
There are certain times within the growing cycle of a crop that can do with a boost to help nature’s processes along.
#Gippsland – a place of all kinds wonder
The Gippsland region in southeastern Victoria stretches from outer Melbourne, along the south-east coast of Australia to the NSW border.
“To fertilise or not?” That is the question.
And the answer – you will wish you had when it rains. There is no doubt that making the decision about buying and applying fertiliser is difficult right now. El Niño has officially been declared, signalling hot dry conditions ahead…again.
Is Nitrogen fertiliser burning a hole in your pocket and your soils?
There is no doubt that high yielding crops, pastures and permanent plantings all require nitrogen (N). It is a major component of both chlorophyll, required for photosynthesis, and of amino acids, the building blocks of proteins.
Distributor Spotlight – Guyra Rural Services
Guyra Rural Services works with its customers from the soil up, following regenerative agriculture practices and principles. With its emphasis on sourcing and supplying biologically friendly agricultural inputs for soil mineralising, and balancing and livestock mineralisation, the business is a natural fit for BioAg’s natural fertilisers and biostimulants.
Trial Updates
The second year of the South Australian grain trials has been completed. The trials commenced in 2021 with the objective to evaluate the efficacy of BioAg products for
improved crop productivity and soil fertility in both lentil and oat crops.
Key soil analysis principles demystified
We often hear farmers concerns and frustrations about diminishing returns, despite doing the same thing that has worked in the past; or looking for a new way to raise productivity, trusting a product/input to deliver on its promises.
What tests are the best for soil?
When you arrange your soil test through BioAg, the soil samples are tested at either the Southern Cross University’s Environmental Analysis Laboratory (EAL) in Lismore NSW or at Eurofins APAL in Adelaide.
Organic Matter Matters
Soil organic matter (SOM) is decomposing plant or animal tissue that is being returned to the soil. It plays a key role in high performing soil; it is a primary source of carbon (C) which gives energy and nutrients to soil organisms, enhancing biodiversity, and it also helps protect the soil from the effect of rainfall, wind, and the sun. SOM is something that can be influenced through farm management practices.
Carbon Sequestration
SOM (soil organic matter) plays a significant role in the carbon cycle. More carbon is stored in soils than in all plants, animals and the atmosphere combined. It is estimated that SOM stores four times as much carbon as living plants and that carbon stored in all the world’s soils is two to three times the amount in the atmosphere. What a bonus for our planet in addition to the everyday benefits for farmers who are growing our food and fibre.
BioAg trial results presented in the USA
Results of a multi-year independent pasture trial testing the effectiveness of BioAg’s natural fertilisers and biostimulants in low rainfall zones were presented at the worldwide gathering in May 2023 of the International Grassland Congress (IGC) held in Kentucky USA.