Nutrient management issues and initiatives

2013 Deer Industry Conference James Parsons

Clearview Innovations (Ballance PGP)

Supporting the Future of Farming 7 year research programme

$9.75 million from Primary Growth Partnership

Matched dollar for dollar by Ballance

Additional $12.5 million in resourcing

Aim: higher production with a lighter environmental footprint

The challenges

Water quality

Nutrient losses

Rising on-farm costs

Trends towards tighter regulations affecting farming

Consumer demand for more sustainable food production

Goals

Improve plant nitrogen use efficiency of fertiliser nitrogen

Improve nitrogen efficiency and reduce nitrogen losses within the farm system

Improve nutrient use efficiency and nutrient recovery from animal effluents

Goals

Improve plant phosphorus use efficiency of fertiliser and soil phosphorus

Cost effective solutions to decrease phosphorus losses from the farm system

Decrease soil accumulation and/or plant uptake of contaminants in phosphorus fertilisers

Goals

New, novel and robust biological fertilisers that enhance nutrient use efficiency

New bio-pesticides for effective and targeted control of pasture and crop pests

New products adding value

SustaiN Green

•A great product with a well proven active - agrotain (NBPT)

•Strong underpinning science internationally

•Proven to:- Reduce ammonia loss (in NZ on average by about 50%)- Reduce greenhouse gas losses- Increase pasture response

•Current work focusing on determining the magnitude of ammonia loss from urea, as influenced by timing and amount of rainfall following application

NH3 volatilisation loss risk

kg N applied/ha (as urea)

0 30 60 100 200

% lostas NH3

0

10

20

30

Urea application rate vs ammonia volatilisation loss (Black et al, 1985)

Variable - dependent on:Soil moistureRainfall following applicationPlant coverSoil pH buffer capacityUrease enzyme activityetc

•NZ trial work shows typically 10-20% N applied lost to volatilisation

•Range 0%-42% of N applied

SustaiN: AgResearch trial results

Cumulative volatilisation (as % of applied N)

Day

0 5 10 15 20 25

vola

tilis

atio

n (%

of a

pplie

d N

)

0

5

10

15

20

25

sustain 25 kg N/ha sustain 50 kg N/ha urea 25 kg N/ha urea 50 kg N/ha

Figure 5.4. Measured ammonia losses over 18 days, expressed as % of applied N.

Cropzeal DAP boron boost

•A new compound fertiliser – unique to Ballance•Nitrogen, phosphorus and boron all contained in one granule•Ideal starter fertiliser for brassica crops in particular

Cropzeal DAP boron boost

•More even distribution of boron over paddock = greater plant availability of boron•No segregation, no dust

DAP + granular boron

Cropzeal DAP boron boost

DAP

OVERSEER 6 Nutrient Budgets

OVERSEER

•A really useful tool for farmers to help understand how changes in management or different land use affects fertiliser requirements

•Assists development of more ‘site-specific’ fertiliser recommendations

•Increasing nutrient use efficiency

•Reducing wastage

•Greater profitability

•Interpretation…

OVERSEER – Interpretation of output

OVERSEER – Interpretation of output