Weve got some issues.... The Dominion-Post The scale of dirty - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

We’ve got some issues.... The Dominion-Post The scale of dirty dairying in this country: Figures obtained from the 17 regional councils and unitary authorities reveal that since July 1, 2008, there have been 151 prosecutions involving more than 300 charges against 198 companies or individuals for unlawful discharges of dairy effluent affecting land or water.

Looks good but…..

DID YOU KNOW? Our food today is LESS NUTRITIOUS than before WWII! • Mineral Depletion in Food 1940-1991 Fruits • Vegetables • Lost 76% of their copper Lost 19% of their copper • Lost 49% of their sodium Lost 29% of their sodium • Lost 46% of their calcium Lost 16% of their calcium • Lost 27% of their iron Lost 24% of their iron • Lost 24% of their mag Lost 15% of their magnesium • Lost 16% of potassium Lost 22% of potassium • The Composition of Foods , Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Foods and the Royal Society of Chemistry, UK • Considering the amazing technological advancements in plant breeding, genetic engineering, conventional precision farming practices, how is it possible that all this technological advancement has actually reduced food nutritional value?

Agriculture can enrich soils

Modern Agriculture • Increasing use of soluble nutrients. N, P, K, S • Increased reliance on herbicides, fungicides and insecticides without considering the impact these have on our production system. • Increased need for animal remedies to fix the issues we created with our imperfect plant nutrition. • Hi tech solutions for very simple problems that can be rectified by building healthy soils, healthy plants and healthy animals.

NZ Fertiliser use in the last 25 years – 6 X More Nitrogen use Fertiliser application in New Zealand from 1981 Fert application in tonnes 1 600 Super -phosphate (Thousands) 1 400 1 200 Urea 1 000 800 Diammonium Phosphate (DAP) 600 Ammonium sulphate 400 200 1981 1983 1985 1987 1989 1991 1993 1995 1997 1999 2001 2003 2005 2007 Year Source: MAF. "Fertiliser use statistics". (2007)

Biological Agriculture • Need to combine soil chemistry with soil biology • Best of both worlds….. Organic and Conventional • Better production • Better sustainability • Better quality

Solving the pollution problem from the Ground UP

Summary of Farm Performance Improvement at Cloverdale Before Abron With Abron % Change (05/06-08/09) (09/10-11/12) Pasture Harvested 15.25Tonnes/ha 16.83 Tonnes/ha 10.3 % $449 $390 Supplement cost/cow -13.1% Total MS Production 1,096,050kg 1,183,642kg 8% Cost per kg of MS $4.06 $3.48 -14% Nitrogen applied 273units/ha 124 units/ha - 55 % Profit/ha (EBIT) $4,425/ha $5,763/ha 24 % Animal Health Costs $252,223/yr $194,545/yr -22% Performance data above has been based lined at a $7 milk solid payout for all years. Supplement cost per Tonne and farm working expenses are also base lined the same rate for all years. This is done to show how the engine room of the business is performing over time.

From the Soil up ‘Microbes Rule’

Soil Microbe Ecosystem Services • Deliver free nitrogen • Unlock phosphorous • Create vitamins, enzymes, antibiotics • Defend plants • Recycle nutrients • Create humus

The Microbe Bridge Microbes are the bridge between the soil and the plant. Every modern fertiliser we use damages this bridge in some way. Every herbicide and fungicide application also disrupts the nutrient delivery to plants

Sustainability Issues with N • Excess soluble N in the soil uses up soil carbon. Contributes to the Greenhouse Effect • Nitrate form of N leaches readily to groundwater • Ammonia form of N is volatile. (GHG) • Excess Nitrate in plants leads to pest and disease problems in both the plants and the animals eating them.

Sustainable Agriculture • What is it? I ntegrated agricultural science that improves soil biological activity and soil fertility through full spectrum mineral and biochemical applications • What does it accomplish? – Humus creation – Optimum nutrient quality – Plant and animal health – Profit

Sustainable Agriculture: • Combination of soil chemistry with soil biology and physics. • Best of both organic and modern conventional • Better production • Better sustainability • Better quality

Foundation Minerals • Calcium • Magnesium • Potassium • Sodium • Phosphorus • Sulphur • Nitrogen Ensure we have enough of these present to optimise soil physical properties and maximise plant growth.

Check the Results….

Humus Soil humus - stable, very complex, microbe-rich carbon “the gold standard for ag sustainability”: – Food & home for microbes – Increases soil water holding capacity – Chelates & holds fert in root zone for plant use – Keeps soil aerobic - reduces nitrous oxide formation – Detoxifies pesticides – Carbon dioxide stored in living soil – The best measure of soil health

Nitrogen Efficiency 74,000 tonnes of nitrogen gas hovers above every hectare but we must have diverse soil microbiology to access and use it.

Fungi for Humus

VSA • Was created and published by Graham Shepherd of Bio Agronomics in conjunction with the Regional Councils • An excellent method of evaluating soil health

VSA • Scientific methodology for assessing soil quality and plant performance • Linking soil health with farm profitability • Measuring soil KPIs against targets • Reporting on – Soil health – Plant health – Nutrient cycling potential – Potential nutrient loss – Potential carbon sequestration

Soil Structure

Porosity

Root length and density

Earthworms

Pasture colour and growth

VSA Scorecards

Progress towards a healthy soil is a step by step process • We can’t stop all our modern inputs and expect to maintain current production • We can minimise the impact of our inputs on soil health. • We can take every opportunity to stimulate biological activity • We measure our progress using well established methods

Sustainability - it’s the Microbes

Humus formation and soil regeneration in action

HB Sheep and beef block October 2008.

Two weeks post grazing September 2011

Average annual inputs • 1000 kg lime serpentine mix/ha • Humates and Trace elements. • 200 kg RPR/ha • Recent applications 550 kg/Ha Calci-life,Super-life, lime and serpentine based mix – $140/Ha

Huge Gains in Soil Carbon in 18 Months Total soil C% on three Dairy pastures compared with adjacent conventional dairy soils 8.8% 10.0% 6.7% 8.0% Total Carbon % 5.6% 4.9% 6.0% 3.2% 4.0% 2.7% 2.0% 0.0%

Increases in organic matter levels in soils (measured as Total Carbon) averaged 0.75 of a percent over 14 months on 16 monitor sites on seven Hawkes Bay dairy farms that were following an Abron fertiliser programme. This contrasts with trends of reducing soil carbon levels found in studies completed on Waikato dairy farms following a traditional soluble fertiliser programme

Average pasture production per unit of N fertiliser applied at nine harvest dates from • Dissolved Urea treatments plots treated with dissolved urea and humic compounds or granular urea. received 9 units N per ha with 400 humic compounds at each application 350 300 Kg Dm/ha per unit of N applied 250 Dissolved • Granular Urea treatments Urea 200 received 25 units N per ha per Granular application Urea 150 100 50 0 Average for nine harvests

• “Despite mankind’s lofty aspir iration ions s and nd m many ny no notable le ach chie ieveme vement nts, s, our s r surv rviv ival l de depen pends ds on a n a s six ix-in inch ch la layer r of t f topso soil il and nd the fa fact ct that it it ra rain ins .” Anon.

Earthworms • Aerate soil. Drain soil. • As soil/plant litter passes through the plant availability of nutrients is magnified. – P x 7 – K x 10 – N x 5 – Mg x 3 – Ca x 1.5