STOCK & LAND, October 11, 2012 47
Focus on Total Grower Services
“ This crop grew on 2t/ha of chicken manure treated with Petrik Biology, with a side-dressing of 20 kg/ha of nitrogen the only other fertiliser.”
Jeremy Cruikshank – Piora Charolais & Charbray Stud, Casino NSW
Maximise manure response with Petrik Biology.Healthy soills for a healthier yield. By achieving optimum yields with reduced fertiliser Petrik biology is challenging conventional farming systems. The microbes in Petrik Biology utilise the nutrients and fresh organic compounds in manure and crop residues to produce humus. The improved soil conditions allow both the native soil biology and the plants to work together to provide nutrients on demand.
Petrik Biology will release nitrogen and phosphorus as required by the crop while improving water holding capacity and rooting depth. Petrik have been world leaders in soil microbiology since 1961. In fact it is the only biological farming company with yield mapped results. So for a healthier balance sheet for your business realise your lands full potential with Petrik.
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06CONTACT YOUR LOCAL PETRIK SUPPLIER Leongatha Kevin Hughes Soilwise - 04 2734 3866 email: [email protected] Colac Gavin Bone - 04 2838 3221 email: [email protected] Seymour Dave Williams - 0419449395National and Distributor Enquiries Shane Fitz Gerald - 0419656251 [email protected] Liam Riedy 04 2968 5063 Office 07 4068 5063
SUCCESSFUL adaptation andinnovation around the logisticalchallenges of using the Petrik livebiological culture has resulted inmajor steps forward across a rangeof agriculture sectors.
When the products were firstintroduced from the USA over 20years ago the standard was tospray the biology over the field.
Success with this system waspatchy, with rain or irrigationrequired for results.
John Hosking a Petrikconsultant in Quirrindi has hadrapidly increased success anduptake since the more widespreadadoption of liquid injectionsystems on summer planters.
John states, “The survival of thePetrik biology is much increasedwhere it can be placed in the rightenvironment “.
Many clients have now set uptheir winter planters based on theperformance of the summer crops.
In-ground composting howeverremains a viable option where thebiology is sprayed onto manureimmediately prior to cultivation.
In the pasture systems JohnCordingley of “Topdale” viaWalcha developed the techniqueof applying the Petrik biology tothe belt of the manure or compostspreader 2 years ago. A smalltank with an inbuilt 12 volt pumpis sufficient to do this job thesesystems are now in place across
pasture industries in 4 states. Application of the biology to
the manure as it leaves thespreader continues to evolve intonew industries with Peter Watsonof Ag-Culture Bundaberg settingup for contracting with his new in-row cane manure applicator. Herethe manure is treated with thePetrik biology as it leaves thechutes.
Manure rates can be used aslow as 1t/ha in this case.
Application the key to Petrik adoption
Max Phil and JennyMawhinney of KentuckyBlue via Walcha hosted
field days in June 2011 followingsuccessful trials they ran usingPetrik Evergreen and Greenmanure plus.
Now 18 months since theybegan using the Petrik System theyare still very happy with theoutcomes.
In the trial Max and Philcompared weight gains in Angussteers from two equivalentrotations of 4 treated and 4untreated cells.
The animals on the treated cellsshowed a consistent 300g/dayadvantage.
Nutritional analysis of thepasture for ME, CP and NDFexplained the differences withhigher energy and lower fibre inthe treated plots.
The 4 control cells from thistrial were the last section of“Kentucky Blue” to receive theproducts; as Max wanted to keepthis as a comparison as long aspossible.
The control cells were treatedwith manure and the biology inautumn 2012.
The differences between the twotrial sections however continued togrow as in July the original controlrotation which had receivedmanure twice over two years andthe Petrik treatment only recentlywas running 100 steers comparedto the treated rotation which hasnow had the Petrik biology twiceover manure is running 150 steers
on the same area and pasturehistory.
What was measured in 2011 as a27% yield increase has nowdeveloped into better than a 35%yield increase.
The core of this system is humuscreation.
The Petrik products break downthe soils existing organic matterthrough to humus, providing animproved environment for both thenative soil biology and the plantroots.
Shane Fitz Gerald of PetrikPacific states, “So many of thelimitations of agriculture arerelated to soil structure, this ispartly caused by traffic of bothanimals or machinery however themajor cause is the loss ofhumifying biology from soilsystems”.
He goes on to say, “Evidence ofthis biology limitation is seen inthe build-up of undigested organicmatter both on top of the soil andthrough the profile, this commonlybecomes a carpet of organic trashin pasture systems.”
The Petrik products under theright conditions start to break thisplant material down starting acycle of improvement as the nativebiology in the soil can againfunction to its potential.
A biologically active soil has theability to recycle nutrients andrelease tied up phosphorus.
At the time of the trials theMawhinney’s were using theproducts over 5 cubic metres perhectare of chicken litter.
With these results they havereduced the manure rate to only 1cubic metre /ha annually.
In this case the main role of themanure is as a carrier facilitatingrapid multiplication of thehumifying biology. Graham Copeof Fish Creek Victoria who wasone of the first intensive dairyproducers in the Gippsland regionto utilise the Petrik system hassuccessfully improved theproductivity of a number of farmsover the last 20 years whileexpanded from a 230 cow dairy tonow milk 650.
Graham has improved thequality of his feed while increasingthe efficiency of nitrogen andphosphorus. This method has beensuccessfully implemented oftenusing liquid only application inaircraft for over a decade.
This is effective as pasturealready contains high organicmatter and has consistent manureinputs from the animals providingraw material for humus creation.Based on consultation withGippsland Dairy agronomist KevinHughes of Koonwarra Victoria theMawhinney’s along with RobMulligan of “Salway” via WalchaNSW, also investigated liquid onlyapplication of the Petrik products.
In the absence of a manurecarrier however the weatherconditions are important as thebiology needs to make it throughthe canopy to the soil. Light rain isideal but even a heavy dew withina few days of application can beenough.
Based on this Rob Mulligan atWalcha NSW in conjunction withAgronomists Rob Ecceles andPippie Lee put this applicationtechnique to the test in a replicatedtrial. The dry matter productionmore than doubled compared to
the control section and RobMulligan is applying the process tohis whole property.
Rob comments, “I can see someimprovements in the paddockshowever the real test for me is thelift in the look of the animals”.
Kentucky Blue Petrik program continues
Graham Cope of Fish Creek with Petrik Consultant Kevin Hughes.
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