FERTILISER
Page 34
Healthy soils help ensure healthy waterways It is a fact that very few soil problems are intrinsic – most are due to the depletion or absence of diverse communities of soil microbes, says AgriSea New Zealand Seaweed Ltd general manager Tane Bradley. “Firstly, soil function is strongly influenced by its structure. In order for soil to be well structured, it Technical advisor Mark Powick and Paul must be living. Life in the O’Donnell examine the on-farm benefits of soil provides the ‘glues and Agrisea Soil Nutrition. gums’ that enable soil parto ensure healthy waterways is to have ticles to stick together into healthy soil. As rules tighten around pea-sized lumps called aggregates. environmental factors including “Well-structured soils with high levels compromised waterways, farmers need of biological activity are more producviable on-farm options.” tive with fewer inputs, less prone to One option leading the pack, Tane erosion and compaction and function says, is the use of bio-stimulants. “These more effectively as biofilters.” are naturally derived farm inputs that Tane says vigorous root systems and relationships with beneficial soil biology are effective in low concentrations and focus on the health and function of are essential for maximising the ability the soil. “The bio-stimulant industry of crop and pasture plants to obtain worldwide is growing at 12 per cent nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, per annum – this growth is driven by sulphur, calcium, magnesium and a a number of factors including science, wide variety of trace elements including consumer demand and environmental copper, cobalt, zinc, selenium, boron constraints.” and molybdenum. AgriSea New Zealand Seaweed Ltd “Many of these elements are essential is one such bio-stimulant producer for animal health as well as plant resistencountering significant growth. ance to pests and diseases. They also AgriSea is an award-winning family confer resilience to climatic extremes company and has been a New Zealander such as drought, waterlogging and leader in biological farm inputs since frost.” Plant function is enhanced when 1996. Manufacturing both liquid and these nutrients are obtained via natural solid biostimulants, AgriSea has a range microbial pathways rather than applied of products that can fit into any farm or in synthetic form, says Tane. fertiliser system. “The single biggest on-farm factor
AGRISEA AUTUMN SOIL SPECIAL VALID MARCH 1ST - 31ST 2017
1 Ton 1/2 Ton $300 OFF $100 OFF (RRP)
(RRP)
100L $50 OFF (RRP)
0800 SEAWEED (732 9333)
200L $100 OFF (RRP)
1000L $500 OFF (RRP)
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