Over the years there has been a steady decline in the general performance of our pastures and crops, and this has been caused by a progressive decline in soil fertility (nutritional concentration and balance). This has been brought about by years of misuse of fertilisers, and otherwise general neglect of what needs to happen to look after our greatest asset; our soil.
It is not hard to see the tell tale signs that things are not right in the paddock; e.g.
- Yields not what they used to be
- Uneven growth across the paddock
- Unproductive ‘patches’ starting to show up
- Poor seed set
- Increase in certain unwanted weeds
- Animals aren’t doing quite as well on the paddock
- Decline in vegetation
The main problems are;
- Fertiliser programs and practices have not been ‘matched’ to the requirements of the soil and the crop or pasture growing in it. This includes an often excessive application of one or more nutrients, and in many cases over a number of years; e.g. phosphorus and nitrogen.
This has not only degraded the general productivity from the soil, but also ultimately the farm bank account. - Soil acidification and soil salinity, with soil acidification by far the most major and often overlooked problem in Australia today.
How major? It has been estimated that there is up to 10 times more land affected by acidification than salinity, and this could require upwards of 60 million tonnes of lime to ‘correct’ the problem across Australia.
Landowners are often amazed what a massive difference an application of ‘lime’ can make to a paddock that is identified through a soil test to be suffering from soil acidification. They also see the consequential benefits in how well their grazing animals perform.
The solution is to apply a properly integrated soil treatment and fertiliser program (Integrated nutrition approach) to the paddock; to IMPROVE & SAVE!
- Based on the results from a reliably interpreted soil test determine any need for lime or gypsum, and the correct type and rate.
- Based on the results from a reliably interpreted soil test determine the correct granular (soil) fertiliser (N, P, K) and rate to be applied.
- ALWAYS apply a post-emergent foliar fertiliser to integrate foliar P, and removal levels of trace elements; zinc, copper, manganese, boron, molybdenum and cobalt.
You too can start making a real difference in how your paddocks perform, and we have the cost-effective solutions available now, along with years of practical experience to back it up.