Grow North Island 03 04 22 - Spring 2021 - Ballance

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Grow North Island 03 04 22 - Spring 2021 - Ballance
Grow    North Island
       Spring 2021

           03
          Stay on top
           of policy

           04
           Get more
           out of N

            22
          Celebrating
           success
Grow North Island 03 04 22 - Spring 2021 - Ballance
03                                   10                                 16
Contents
                      Stay on top of policy                Which N is best?                   Testing above ground

                      04                                   11                                 17
                      Get more out of N                    More now, less later               K response on brassicas

                      06                                   12                                 18
                      Nitrogen:                            More profit, less loss             Is more intensive better?
                      friend or foe?

                                                           13                                 19
                                                           Phosphorus near seed               Sustainable soil tests

                                                           14                                 20
                                                           Two sides of copper                Is calcium needed?

                                                           15                                 21
                      07
                                                           What’s in it?                      Spotlight on fertigation

                      Legumes for N on hills
                                                                                              22
                      08
                                                                                              Clippings

                      N reporting made easier
                                                                                              23
                      09
                                                                                              Family recipe for success

                      Nitrogen alternatives

                      Ballance Agri-Nutrients is one of    Since its inception in the         SealesWinslow is a recognised
                      New Zealand’s leading fertiliser     1980s, Super Air has evolved       leader in the production of
                      manufacturers. A 100 percent         into one of New Zealand’s          high-performance compound
                      farmer-owned co-operative, the       leading agricultural aviation      feeds and feed additives.
                      company has approximately            companies. In addition to aerial   A fully owned subsidiary of
                      18,000 shareholders and sells        fertiliser application, Super      Ballance, SealesWinslow has
                      around 1.5 million tonnes of         Air has developed a world-         manufacturing sites located
                      product each year, representing      class reputation for aircraft      in Morrinsville, Ashburton
                      a turnover close to $900 million.    engineering and innovation.        and Whanganui, and supplies
                      Its products include imported        Wholly owned by Ballance,          custom-blended pelletised
                      and locally manufactured             Super Air services most of         feed to farmers throughout
                      fertilisers, the majority of which   the North Island, and from         New Zealand. It also provides
                      attract a rebate for shareholders.   February 2021 is also              molasses feed blocks, feed
                                                           servicing the South Island.        supplements and additives.
                      ballance.co.nz                       superair.co.nz                     sealeswinslow.co.nz
                      0800 222 090                         0800 787 372                       0800 287 325

  02 /   ballance.co.nz
Grow North Island 03 04 22 - Spring 2021 - Ballance
Animal    Water     Plant       Soil

Stay on top of policy
A round up of what’s been                   Farm environment plans
happening in the environmental              The Government is engaging with              Applying for N cap consent
policies space.                             primary sector representatives, iwi          If you cannot meet the N cap
                                            Māori, regional councils, environmental      rules, you will need to apply for
More time for N cap consent                 organisations and other interested           a resource consent. Regional
                                            groups to develop new regulations for        councils can only approve the
People who can’t meet the nitrogen (N)      farm environment plans. These plans
cap rules that started on 1 July 2021                                                    consent if it satisfies one of two
                                            will be rolled out on a prioritised basis,   options:
have more time to obtain a resource         with N impacted catchments first in line.
consent (see box).                                                                       Option 1: You create a synthetic
A resource consent must now be              Biodiversity policy delayed                  N reduction plan, showing how
applied for by 31 December 2021                                                          synthetic N use will be reduced
                                            Decisions on the National Policy
(instead of the previous requirement for                                                 each year, so the rules can be met
                                            Statement for Indigenous Biodiversity,
a resource consent before 1 July 2021).                                                  from 1 July 2023. In effect, this
                                            originally due in April 2021, are now
                                                                                         provides farms with an extra year
                                            expected to be released by the end of
                                                                                         to adjust their practices in order to
Intensive winter grazing                    2021.
                                                                                         comply with the rules.
restrictions deferred
                                            Know your greenhouse gas                     Option 2: You have a report from
Intensive winter grazing rules due to                                                    a suitably qualified expert such
come into force in May this year have       numbers
                                                                                         as a farm planner or nutrient
been deferred until 1 May 2022.             Ahead of all farmers and growers             advisor, describing the good
                                            needing to know their greenhouse gas         practices used to apply the N
In the meantime, the 2021/22 Intensive
                                            numbers by the end of 2022, He Waka          fertiliser, as well as the rate N
Winter Grazing Module, a tool to help
                                            Eke Noa: the Primary Sector Climate          would leach under the 190 kg/
people make immediate improvements
                                            Action Partnership has released farm         ha/year cap if these practices
to intensive winter grazing practices, is
                                            planning guidance, and an assessment         were used. This report must show
available at bit.ly/3kDXkJx.
                                            of tools and calculators for calculating     that the rate at which N will leach
Rules preventing the expansion of the       greenhouse gases, both of which are          from non-complying N fertiliser
area used for intensive winter grazing      available at hewakaekenoa.nz/tools.          applications is not greater than the
(to no more than was used for the                                                        rate it enters water from applying
practice between 1 July 2014 and 30              FOR MORE INFORMATION                    N fertiliser at 190 kg/ha/year, as
June 2019) still apply.                                                                  stated in the rules.
                                            ballance.co.nz/essential-freshwater-
                                            policy

                                                                                                          Grow North Island / 03
Grow North Island 03 04 22 - Spring 2021 - Ballance
Animal     Water        Plant   Soil

Get more out of N
Help is at hand to get the most               Total N soil test                             Although not often used, it provides
out of nitrogen (N) fertiliser                The first step in using My Pasture            valuable information on the potential
                                              Planner to optimise the placement and         pasture response rate to applied N (see
under the new rules.                                                                        Figure 1).
                                              rate of N is to identify the varying levels
The new N fertiliser cap rules mean           of N in the soil in different management      The Total N test can be incorporated
using N wisely to get the best pasture        areas on farm. This is done via a Total N     into a regular soil testing regime,
response from applications is more            soil test.                                    and involves testing each different
important than ever.                                                                        management block on farm to a depth
                                              As the name suggests, the test
Applying N fertiliser uniformly across all    measures the total pool of N in the soil –    of 75 mm. It only needs to be repeated
management areas on farm or following         the combination of mineral N, available       once every 4 to 6 years, as the total N
the cows and applying a set amount            N and immobilised (mainly organic) N          in the soil changes slowly over time if
of N shortly after each grazing can be        pools. Total N results can vary across        land management has not changed
inefficient.                                  the farm due to variations in soil type,      significantly.
                                              topography and farm management.
Different management areas on farm                                                          Using the Total N test results
have varying levels of total soil N                                                         How do the Total N test results help to
available for plants to use. This is partly                                                 optimise N application?
why plants respond differently if N
fertiliser is applied uniformly.                                                            This is where My Pasture Planner
                                                                                            comes in. It incorporates the scientific
Uniform applications of N fertiliser                                                        expertise of AgResearch, who
across a farm can result in N being                                                         conducted a series of trials throughout
applied where pasture response is                                                           the country to understand the pasture
low, leading to both economic and                                                           response rates to applied N at different
environmental impacts.                                                                      Total N soil test levels.
With N cap rules in force, My Pasture
Planner – a decision support tool
designed to optimise pasture response
to applied N fertiliser – helps to get the
best response from your N fertiliser
purchase.
                                                                                              same amount              for less
                                                                                                of pasture              N use
                                              Only a small percentage of N in the soil
                                              is able to be used by plants.                                   OR

                                                                                                  more                 from the
                                                                                                 pasture             same N use
                                                                                            My Pasture Planner was developed with
                                                                                            the aim of growing the same (or similar)
                                                                                            amount of pasture with less N applied, or
                                                                                            more pasture with the same amount of
                                                                                            N applied.

04 /   ballance.co.nz
Grow North Island 03 04 22 - Spring 2021 - Ballance
Animal    Water    Plant    Soil

My Pasture Planner uses Total N soil        mapping capability, and the MyBallance       customers can register for MyBallance at
test information to identify strategic N    integration means easy access to a           myballance.co.nz. To become a Ballance
fertiliser applications so you can tailor   fertiliser recommendation, mapped out        customer contact the Customer
both N fertiliser placement and rates       for the farm.                                Services team on 0800 222 090 or email
on a monthly basis. My Pasture Planner                                                   customerservices-mount@ballance.co.nz.
can help you to grow more pasture for       My Pasture Planner was developed in
the same amount of N use, or the same       collaboration with AgResearch, and           Note: My Pasture Planner is not calibrated
amount of pasture for less N use. It can    partly funded by the Ministry for Primary    for peat soils.
also be used to help meet pasture feed      Industries’ Primary Growth Partnership.
demand or grow feed to conserve, such       Used exclusively by Ballance, it is free
                                                                                              FOR MORE INFORMATION
as hay, silage and balage (see example      for Ballance customers registered with
output).                                    MyBallance, and available via a Ballance     ballance.co.nz/my-pasture-planner
                                            Nutrient Specialist. Existing Ballance
Ballance Nutrient Specialists can use
My Pasture Planner to guide annual
N fertiliser plans and show where
response to N applied is likely to be
less and greater. You can input certain
constraints (such as when N must or
must not be applied and the application
rate) or let the model do its own thing.
My Pasture Planner also provides some
financial comparisons of its current
recommendations to previous years’ N
use.
The tool uses the Total N soil test, a
digital farm map and regional pasture
growth data to predict pasture
response, so N can be used more
efficiently – the right product, in the
right place, at the right rate and times
– with less impact on the environment.
This could translate into reduced N         Figure 1 Pasture dry matter response to applied N at increasing total soil N.
leaching and nitrous oxide emissions as     A lower total soil N has a larger pasture response, and higher total soil N a smaller
modelled by Overseer.                       pasture response.

My Pasture Planner does not
recommend a specific product, and the
‘right product’ will depend on season
and other nutrient factors, and can be
discussed with your Ballance Nutrient
Specialist.
Farmers can easily access outputs from
My Pasture Planner which is integrated
into the MyBallance platform. An annual
plan can easily be created using the

   What do I need to run My
   Pasture Planner?
   ü MyBallance account set
     up with a farm map at the
     paddock scale
   ü Total N test for each
     management block on farm
   ü Current OverseerFM nutrient
     budget producing reports
   ü The previous year’s N use on
     a monthly basis for the whole
     farm
                                            An example of a My Pasture Planner output.

                                                                                                            Grow North Island / 05
Grow North Island 03 04 22 - Spring 2021 - Ballance
Animal     Water        Plant   Soil

Nitrogen: friend or foe?
Consider the facts behind nitrogen (N) before deciding to avoid it altogether.

“The new synthetic N cap for pasture         Fact: N can help with feed
can make it seem like N fertiliser is        shortages on any farm                          Deficiency in pasture
best avoided,” says Ballance Science                                                        In N deficient pasture, older leaves
                                             Rather than seeing N as a fertiliser,
Extension Officer Katie Aitkenhead.                                                         yellow first. The plant cannot
                                             it could be considered as a
“But N is essential for growth and has a     supplementary feed source. Using N             produce enough chlorophyll, so
valuable part to play. In some instances     to grow additional pasture is generally        moves the N from older leaves
the way it’s used can cause problems,        more cost-effective than buying                to new growth where it is most
but it’s wise to weigh up the facts before   supplementary feed.                            needed.
writing N off altogether.”
                                             As all plants (except legumes) are N
                                             deficient1, N can be used strategically     Fact: Good N use has minimal
Fact: Pastures need N
                                             and sustainably on both sheep and beef      impact on waterways
To grow properly pasture plants need         and dairy farms to provide extra feed to
large quantities of N – in greater           lift or maintain animal performance at      Used in the right place, at the right time
amounts than any other nutrient.             critical times of the year.                 and rate, N fertiliser has little direct
Nitrogen is a major component of plant                                                   effect on the environment.
and animal tissue, and also essential for    At most times of the year (excluding dry
processes such as photosynthesis.            summer or cold winter conditions) N         In New Zealand, urine from farm
                                             stimulates a short term increase in grass   animals, not N fertiliser, is the main
In pastoral systems, most N in the soil      growth which, with effective grazing        source of N entering waterways2. As
comes from natural processes, such           management, can be very helpful in          the N in urine is deposited on a small
as legumes converting N from the air         overcoming feed shortages.                  area in high concentration, the pasture
into plant available forms, soil microbes                                                cannot take it all up, and some leaches
converting organic N into plant available    For sheep and beef, N is typically          into groundwater. Leached N eventually
mineral N, and also in most cases from       applied in late winter to early spring      reaches waterways, where if present
animal urine and dung. Nitrogen can          to provide extra feed for calving and       in excessive amounts, it can promote
also be added via synthetic or biological    lambing, or in autumn to provide extra      excessive growth of algae.
fertiliser (see page 9).                     feed before and during mating, and to
                                             help carry stock through the winter.        Nitrogen fertiliser does however
                                                                                         produce small amounts of the
                                                                                         greenhouse gases carbon dioxide and
                                                                                         nitrous oxide.

                                                                                         1 Moot D 2019. Overcoming the weakest link in
                                                                                           pastoral farming – a lack of nitrogen. The Journal
                                                                                           March 2019: 12-18
                                                                                         ² Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment
                                                                                           2013. Water quality in New Zealand: Land use and
                                                                                           nutrient pollution

                                                                                                               FOR MORE
                                                                                                             INFORMATION
                                                                                                       Contact your Ballance
                                                                                                        Nutrient Specialist.

06 /   ballance.co.nz
Grow North Island 03 04 22 - Spring 2021 - Ballance
Animal      Water        Plant       Soil

Legumes for N on hills
Legumes are part of the solution for nitrogen (N) deficient hill country.

Nitrogen deficiencies in much of New           Much research over the last decade
Zealand’s hill country farmland mean           has looked at the establishment and              Legume legwork
pasture cannot effectively use available       management of legumes such as                    To thrive, legumes need:
soil moisture.                                 lucerne, annual clover and white or
                                               red clover, and also their suitability for       • to be suitable for the farm
“A lot of hill country is summer-dry, and      various farm systems.                              system and environment
N deficiency only compounds the issue
                                                                                                • higher soil fertility than grass
as pasture can’t make full use of the          Bonavaree Farm in Malborough
limited rainfall,” says Ballance Sheep         has demonstrated the significant                     » adequate levels of
and Beef Programme Lead Richard                improvements in farm performance                       phosphorus, sulphur,
Draper.                                        that can be achieved by switching to a                 potassium and magnesium
                                               lucerne based system (see Table 1).                  » the micronutrients
“The good news is that hill country is
                                                                                                      molybdenum, boron and
very responsive to N, and overcoming           Similarly impressive results have been
                                                                                                      copper
N limitation improves the productivity of      recorded at Bog Roy in Omarama,
pastures and animals.”                         where, following the development of              • a pH of 5.8-6.2
                                               lucerne based pastures and grazing/              • grazing management (via
Aerial application of N fertiliser to hill     management systems, ewe flock                      subdivision and stock water) to
country can be economic, and can be            performance improved 45 per cent                   control:
considered as a way to provide strategic       between 2008 and 20142.
feed for key times such as lambing.                                                                 » stock pressure and prevent
Responses of up to 20 kg of dry matter         While lucerne may be a great option for                ‘grazing-out’ due to
per kg N/ha have been recorded on hill         cultivatable dryland, significant work                 preferential grazing
country on both islands1.                      on establishing and managing annual                  » timing of grazing to prevent
                                               clovers (such as subterranean clover)                  shading by grasses
Legume advantages                              on dryland hill country has shown
                                                                                                    » annual reproduction to
“A cost-effective long term solution to        similarly impressive results. In higher
                                                                                                      replenish reserves.
overcoming N deficiency on hill country        rainfall environments, red and white
may be through legumes such as                 clovers are more likely to thrive, and will
lucerne or clovers, which typically fix 30     produce comparable results.
kg N/ha per tonne of dry matter,” says         “The key is to identify the best legume       1 Ballance Agri-Nutrients 2015. Nitrogen on hill
Richard.                                       for your environment and system and to          country fact sheet
                                                                                             2 Moot DJ, Anderson PVA, Anderson LJ, Anderson
Besides their ability to fix N from the air    manage it appropriately to drive animal         DK 2019. Animal performance changes over 11
to power pasture growth, legumes offer         and farm production.                            years after implementing a lucerne grazing system
                                                                                               on Bog Roy Station. Journal of New Zealand
other advantages over grasses.                 “This is an exciting area with                  Grasslands 81: 75-80

“Legumes are more moisture efficient,          considerable potential to drive on-farm
and grow greater amounts of dry matter         production and profit,” says Richard.
when moisture is limited on hill country.
They’re also a higher quality feed, with             FOR MORE INFORMATION
a higher protein concentration than            Contact your Ballance Nutrient
grasses, so also contribute to improved        Specialist.
livestock performance.”

Table 1 Improvements in key performance indicators at
Bonavaree Farm from switching to a lucerne based system

                                  2002        2012    Increase
 Lambing (%)                       117        145         24%

 Lamb weights (kg)                 13.3        19         43%

 Gross trading profit (ha)         $317       $792       149%

Source: Moot & Avery, 2013

                                                                                                                      Grow North Island / 07
Grow North Island 03 04 22 - Spring 2021 - Ballance
Animal     Water        Plant   Soil

N reporting
made easier
A new nitrogen management                       Limit Management tool for MyBallance,
tool will make it easier to track               making tracking and reporting N use            Rules recap
                                                much easier.                                   • If a paddock is used for both
and report nitrogen (N) fertiliser
                                                                                                 grazed pasture and:
applications.                                   All you need to do is enter your proof of
                                                application data (either automatically via        » ungrazed crops, the N cap
Under the N cap rules, pastoral farmers         your spreader subscription, or manually             applies only to the pasture
are now required to track and record            in MyBallance).                                   » grazed crops, the N use on
their N fertiliser applications.                                                                    the paddock is not capped,
                                                The Nitrogen Limit Management tool
                                                                                                    but is included towards the
Dairy farmers will also need to report          can help you stay on track and make
                                                                                                    farm’s average, so any use
their N fertiliser use for the current          any necessary adjustments so you meet
                                                                                                    over 190 kg N/ha/year on
period – 1 July 2021 to 30 June 2022            the N cap.
                                                                                                    these areas must be offset
– and beyond. The first report is due
                                                At the end of the period MyBallance                 by less N use in other grazed
at regional councils by 31 July 2022,
                                                does the tricky bit for you, transforming           areas.
shortly after the current period ends.
                                                your application data into a council-          • If you cannot meet the N cap
The rules are complex, so in spring             ready N usage report for you to submit           rules, you need to apply for a
2021 Ballance is launching a Nitrogen           to your regional council.                        resource consent (see page 3).

Features to help you stay on track                                                           Get ready to use it
                                                                                             Get ready to use the Nitrogen Limit
                                                                                             Management tool when it’s released in
                                                                                             spring.
                                                                                             ü If you’re new to MyBallance,
                                                                                               head to myballance.co.nz/register
                                                                                               to activate your account.
                                                                                             ü Check you have your digital
                                                                                               farm map in MyBallance
                                                                 How your average              (or email gis.support@ballance.co.nz
                                                                  N use is tracking            to have it uploaded).
                                  Your farm                        throughout the
                                  average N                      season compared             ü Ask your spreader which subscription
                                  applied on                     to your planned N             their spreading hardware supports,
      A heatmap
    makes it easy to             grazed areas                        applications              and let Ballance Customer Services
   see N applied on                                                                            know on 0800 222 090.
     each paddock                                                                            If you're a Ballance customer, you'll get an
      that will be                                                                           email letting you know when the tool is
   included in the N
        cap limit                                                                            available.

                                                                                                  FOR MORE INFORMATION
  You can easily specify
  the locations of:                                                                          For guides that explain the rules visit
                                                                                             ballance.co.nz/essential-freshwater-
  • crops, and whether
                                                                                             policy
    they’ll be grazed or
    harvested                                                                                Contact your Ballance Nutrient
  • any non-productive                                                                       Specialist to find out how My Pasture
    areas that don’t                                                                         Planner can help optimise your N use.
    receive N                                                                                See page 22 for more on MyBallance.

08 /   ballance.co.nz
Grow North Island 03 04 22 - Spring 2021 - Ballance
Animal      Water       Plant        Soil

Nitrogen alternatives
What should you consider before              Carbon stimulates microbial activity,          manufactured fertilisers, they have lower
using alternatives to synthetic              which increases competition between            concentrations of N, so large volumes
                                             plants to consume N. But if the                are needed to provide N in the same
nitrogen (N)?                                carbon:nitrogen ratio is too high, plants      amounts as manufactured fertilisers.
With national caps on synthetic N use in     compete to take up mineral N quickly, so       Frequent application of large volumes of
force, some are turning their attention to   the total volume of mineral N in the soil is   liquid wastes can damage soil structure,
other sources of N to apply on farm.         depleted and subsequent growth suffers.        create chemical imbalances and
                                             Material with a carbon:nitrogen ratio of       potentially result in excess nutrients in
Biological fertilisers – dairy effluent,     20 to 30:1 is typically best and promotes      nearby waterways.
dairy whey, compost, and plant or            rather than suppresses plant growth⁵.
animal waste such as chicken manure –                                                       Is it practical to apply?
contain N, but not the synthetic kind, so    What about other nutrients?                    Synthetic N products are designed
fall outside the N cap rules.                Many biological fertilisers have a large       to be easily applied to provide readily
But before using a biological fertiliser,    variation in nutrient content and rarely       plant available N. Huge volumes of
it’s best to consider the following.         contain just one nutrient.                     biological fertiliser are needed to get the
                                                                                            immediate growth boost synthetic N
                                             Testing biological fertilisers before
Can plants use the N?                                                                       application provides.
                                             application means their nutrient
Two broad types of N are applied to and      loading can be understood and
found in the soil, but plants can only use   recorded. This helps to account for                  FOR MORE INFORMATION
one type (see Figure 1).                     other nutrients added to the farm, and         Contact your Ballance Nutrient
                                             to ensure all nutrients are supplied to        Specialist.
                                             the farm system to meet maintenance
                                             requirements.

                                             Does it contain heavy metals?                  1 Longhurst B, Rajendram G, Miller B, Dexter M
                                                                                              2017. Nutrient content of liquid and solid effluents
                                             Many composts contain some heavy                 on NZ dairy cow farms. Science and policy: nutrient
                                                                                              management challenges for the next generation.
                                             metals, with levels depending on what            Occasional Report No. 30. Fertilizer and Lime
                                             the compost is made from. This could             Research Centre, Massey University
                                             be undesirable for production, especially      2 Ashekuzzaman SM, Forrestal P, Richards KG,
                                                                                              Daly K, Fenton O 2020. Grassland Phosphorus
                                             in organic systems, so test compost              and Nitrogen Fertiliser Replacement value of
                                             before application.                              Dairy Processing Dewatered Sludge. Sustainable
                                                                                              Production and Consumption 25: 363-373
                                             Could it damage soil health or the             3 Compost Use and Soil Fertility [accessed May
                                                                                              2021] https://ag.umass.edu/vegetable/fact-sheets/
                                             environment?                                     compost-use-soil-fertility
                                             Soil health can benefit from biological        4 Wiedemann SG 2015. Land Application of Chicken
                                                                                              Litter: A Guide for Users. Australian Government
                                             fertilisers which build up organic matter        Rural Industries Research and Development
                                             quickly.                                         Corporation 14/095
                                                                                            5 Watkins M, Nash D 2010. Dairy Factory
                                             But care is needed to prevent liquids            Wastewaters, Their Use on Land and Possible
                                                                                              Environmental Impacts – A Mini Review. The Open
                                             such as dairy effluent or whey from              Agriculture Journal 4: 1-9
                                             damaging soil health. Compared to

What’s the concentration of plant
available N?
This is important as it determines the
response from applying it. Some N
may be initially available but the rate
that organic N is made available to
plants is determined by composition
(including carbon:nitrogen ratio, below),
temperature and moisture. See Figure 2.

What’s the carbon:nitrogen ratio?
This is a major determinant of how fast
organic N will be converted by microbes      Figure 2 Estimated percentage of N applied in biological and synthetic N fertiliser
into plant available mineral N.              that is plant available within 1 year
                                                                                                                     Grow North Island / 09
Grow North Island 03 04 22 - Spring 2021 - Ballance
Animal     Water        Plant   Soil

Which N is best?
Which produces the greatest pasture response – liquid, fine particle or granular nitrogen (N)?
With heightened interest in getting the best response efficiency from N applications (kg DM/kg N applied), we look at whether
different N application methods actually live up to the claims sometimes made about them.

Recent research: fine particle versus granular N
Fine particle application of N was not      not significantly increase pasture
found to improve pasture response           production compared to the equivalent
compared to granular N in research          granular N application (see Figure 1).
comparing the two methods2. The
results of this research are in line with   Both methods did increase pasture
the 2018 research review (above).           production compared to not applying
                                            any N, and the greatest response was
The research assessed five                  produced by applying N treatments at
treatments in a small plot trial on a       the highest rate of growth in spring as
Southland dairy farm:                       compared to autumn.
• control (0 kg N/ha)
                                                  FOR MORE INFORMATION
• fine particle application of SustaiN
  at 25 kg N/ha and 50 kg N/ha              Contact your Ballance Nutrient
• granular application of SustaiN at        Specialist. For more on fertigation,
  25 kg N/ha and 50 kg N/ha.                see page 21.
To check for seasonal differences,
the trial was replicated in spring and      1 Morton J, Tillman R, Morton A 2018. Review of
                                              research on pasture yield response to fine particle
autumn, and pasture production was            application of fertiliser in New Zealand, New
measured four and eight weeks after           Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research
application.                                2 Risk JT, Dawson AE 2019. Comparing fine particle
                                              and granular nitrogen response on Southland
                                              pastures. Nutrient loss mitigations for compliance     Figure 1 Pasture response
Overall, fine particle application at         in agriculture. Occasional Report No. 32. Fertiliser
either rate or in either season did           and Lime Research Centre, Massey University            (measured over two cuts)²

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Animal       Water       Plant        Soil

More now, less later
Gibberellic acid increases feed                               Canterbury and Southland, and                                 produced within the first three weeks
in the short term, but at the                                 Northern Ireland trials were conducted                        of application comes at the expense of
                                                              by the Agri-Food and Biosciences                              yield in subsequent weeks.
expense of yield in subsequent                                Institute.
weeks.                                                                                                                      Using gibberellic acid (with or without
                                                                                                                            N fertiliser) to bring feed supply forward
Extensive trials have shown the plant
                                                              A declining difference
                                                                                                                            may still be of value when there is a feed
growth hormone gibberellic acid – with                        Overall, at first harvest plots treated                       deficit, provided the deficit is not merely
or without nitrogen (N) – brings feed                         with gibberellic acid alone had a strong                      shifted. Rather than producing a large
supply forward, but does not increase                         pasture response and significantly                            amount of additional feed, gibberellic
overall pasture yield1,2,3.                                   higher yields. But in subsequent                              acid has a greater role in shifting the
                                                              harvests, the yield advantage of the                          time of the feed availability.
Gibberellic acid is widely promoted as an                     gibberellic acid treatment declined,
enhancer of pasture growth, including                         and after several cuts the difference                         So for farmers, is the benefit of extra
when used with N fertiliser. Several years                    between gibberellic acid treated plots                        feed in the short term worth the costs of
of local and overseas trials assessing the                    and control plots declined, so the                            treatment and less feed in subsequent
effectiveness of this combination, and                        gibberellic acid treated plots were not                       weeks?
of gibberellic acid alone, have shown                         significantly different to the control.
increased pasture yield in the short term,                                                                                        FOR MORE INFORMATION
but at the expense of reduced yield in                        Synergistic benefits?
subsequent weeks.                                                                                                           Contact your Ballance Nutrient
                                                              To assess if adding gibberellic acid                          Specialist.
In the trials, pasture plots received one                     to N fertiliser has a synergistic effect
of the following:                                             compared to using N fertiliser alone, the
                                                              two treatments were compared.                                 Figure 1 Pasture yield in response to
• control - no treatment
                                                              At all three NZ locations, there was no                       N fertiliser applications (30 kg N/ha)
• N fertiliser only - granular or liquid                                                                                    with or without gibberellic acid (30 g
                                                              significant difference in total pasture
• gibberellic acid - liquid                                   yield between N plus gibberellic acid                         a.i./ha). Trials conducted in Southland,
• N fertiliser plus gibberellic acid -                        and N only treatments (see Figure 1),                         spring 2015
  granular N and solid gibberellic acid                       although both treatments produced
  or liquid N and liquid gibberellic acid                     significantly more pasture than the
                                                              untreated control. Similar results were
Pasture was typically first harvested 21                      observed in the Northern Ireland trials.
to 25 days after application, to simulate
grazing and assess the response, with                         The Northern Ireland trials included solid
subsequent cuts at four to six weeks.                         as well as liquid gibberellic acid. Only
                                                              the liquid gibberellic acid produced a
New Zealand trials were conducted by                          significant pasture response at the first
independent researchers in Waikato,                           cut, and the solid gibberellic acid did
                                                              not produce a yield advantage at either
                                                              first or second cut. This suggests foliar
                                                              application of gibberellic acid is required
                                                              for effective uptake by plants.
                                                              Results across all locations were
                                                              consistent from year to year and not
                                                              affected by variables such as season
                                                              and soil type, and the findings of the NZ
                                                              and Northern Ireland trials were largely
                                                              consistent.
                                                              Overall results indicate that the benefit
                                                              from gibberellic acid diminishes
                                                              over multiple harvests, and that feed

1 Higgins S 2016. Comparison of the relative agronomic performance of several different plant growth promoting formulations in ryegrass-based pasture, under non-moisture
  limited late winter/early spring conditions, Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute, Northern Ireland
2 Higgins S, Watson C 2014. Comparison of relative agronomic performance of several different plant growth promoting formulations in ryegrass-based pasture, under non-
  moisture limited late winter/early spring conditions, Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute, Northern Ireland
3 Ledgard SF 2016. Review of research on effects of application of gibberellic acid alone or in combination with fertiliser nitrogen on pastures, AgResearch report for Ballance
  Agri-Nutrients

                                                                                                                                                       Grow North Island / 11
Animal      Water       Plant        Soil

More profit, less loss
Phosphorus (P) losses, which can affect farm profits and waterways, can be reduced.
“New Zealand soils are naturally                           Most of the P in SurePhos and                               SurePhos and the PastureSure range
low in P, an essential nutrient for                        PastureSure slowly releases over                            are currently only available at limited
growth, so it’s added in order to grow                     a period of months, thus more P                             stores in the North Island.
pastures and crops,” says Ballance                         is retained and less is lost to the
Environmental Management Specialist                        environment. Both also contain a small                            FOR MORE INFORMATION
Ian Power.                                                 amount of water soluble P to boost
                                                           pasture growth immediately.                                 Contact your Ballance Nutrient
“But like nitrogen (N), if too much P is                                                                               Specialist.
lost and ends up in waterways it can
result in excessive aquatic plant growth
and algal blooms.”
                                                                Driver                     Risk factor                    Mitigation
How P is lost
Unlike N, which is mainly lost via                                                                                        Avoid applying P fertiliser when
leaching, P does not normally leach.                                                                                      risk of high rainfall
                                                                Timing of P
Instead, most P losses to water occur                                                      Soluble P runoff               Use a fertiliser with low levels of
                                                                application
via runoff from pastoral land, carrying                                                                                   water soluble P e.g. SurePhos,
soil particles with P attached.                                                                                           PastureSure

“Sediment and P losses literally                                Pugging                    Increased runoff               Minimise pugging of soil
go hand in hand. Loss of topsoil is
                                                                                           Runoff carries P
problematic for farmers, and also                               Tracks, lanes and                                         Divert runoff from tracks, lanes,
                                                                                           and sediment to
for waterways as it reduces water                               races                                                     and races to paddocks
                                                                                           waterways
clarity and light for aquatic plants and
animals.”                                                       Light soils
                                                                                           Prone to erosion               Avoid grazing heavy stock on
                                                                (sandy, pumice)
Phosphorus is also lost as soluble                                                                                        these soils and maintain pasture
P (from fertiliser or high fertility soil                                                  Reduced infiltration,          cover
                                                                Heavy clay soils
particles) that dissolves in water.                                                        increased runoff

“This water soluble P can be the more                                                                                     Keep Olsen P to optimal levels
                                                                                           Increased loss
concerning in certain situations, as it’s                       High Olsen P                                              Use a fertiliser with low levels of
                                                                                           of P attached to
immediately bioavailable for unwanted                           levels                                                    water soluble P e.g. SurePhos,
                                                                                           sediment
algae and aquatic weeds.”                                                                                                 PastureSure
The drivers, risk factors and mitigations                       High effluent                                             Increase effluent block area and/
for P and sediment loss are often the                                                      Increased runoff
                                                                application                                               or reduce application rate
same (see Table 1).
                                                                                           Dung directly
Reducing P fertiliser losses                                    Stock (mainly              deposited in
                                                                                           waterways                      Exclude stock from waterways
“If it rains directly after a fertiliser                        cattle and deer)
containing mainly water soluble P, such                                                    Bank erosion
as superphosphate or diammonium
phosphate, is applied, some fertiliser                                                                                    Plant suitable trees, spaced
                                                                                           Landslide and                  appropriately, on at risk slopes
P is inevitably lost. But luckily these                         Steep slopes
                                                                                           surface erosion
losses can be reduced by up to 75 per                                                                                     Graze with smaller cattle or sheep
cent by using a phosphate fertiliser
                                                                                                                          Install wetlands and/or detention
with low levels of water soluble P, such
                                                                                                                          bunds
as SurePhos1,” says Ian.                                                                   Runoff leading to
                                                                Heavy rainfall                                            Use a fertiliser with low levels of
                                                                                           sediment and P loss
Alternatively, the PastureSure range                                                                                      water soluble P e.g. SurePhos,
combines SurePhos with SustaiN,                                                                                           PastureSure
an N fertiliser that reduces N lost as
ammonia gas by around 50 per cent                             Table 1 Drivers and risks of P and sediment losses and mitigations
(compared to standard urea)2.

1 McDowell RW, Smith C, Balvert S 2011. The environmental impact and agronomic effectiveness of four phosphorus fertilisers: Report for Ballance Agri-Nutrients, October
  2011
2 Zaman M, Saggar S, Stafford AD 2013. Mitigation of ammonia losses from urea applied to a pastoral system: The effect of nBTPT and timing and amount of irrigation.
  Proceedings of the New Zealand Grassland Association 75: 209-214

12 /   ballance.co.nz
Animal      Water       Plant       Soil

Phosphorus near seed
Crops with the right nutrients                              Research commissioned by Ballance
at sowing and during                                        has shown the yield benefits in                                Drilling starter fertiliser
                                                            brassicas by placing P close to seed1.                         enhances establishment
establishment are more likely to                            Compared to broadcasting, P drilled
meet their yield potential.                                 with the seed increased yield by almost                        • With no-tillage cropping,
                                                            2 t DM/ha. Broadcasted P, however, is                            drilling starter fertiliser
Phosphorus (P) is one of the most                                                                                            makes up for the lack of soil
                                                            better than no P at all, and increased
critical nutrients for early plant                                                                                           mineralisation that comes with
                                                            yield by almost 2 t DM/ha compared to
development (the other being nitrogen).                                                                                      cultivation.
                                                            the control, and by more than 2 t DM/
Phosphorus helps with early root and                        ha when it was incorporated into the                           • In cultivated soil, starter
shoot development. The effects of                           soil (see Figure 1).                                             fertiliser enhances seedling
P deficiency on plants include poor                                                                                          establishment because
                                                            These findings can be applied to help                            cultivation often brings low
seedling establishment and root
                                                            improve nutrient use efficiency (t DM                            fertility soil to the surface
development, stunted top growth
                                                            grown/nutrient applied) and reduce                               where small seeded crops are
and spindly stalks, leading to delayed
                                                            nutrient losses.                                                 sown.
maturity and poor seed and fruit set.
Phosphorus is a relatively immobile                         Products for proximal P
nutrient in the soil. Poor growth                           placement                                                   Cropzeal Boron Boost is ideal. These
conditions during early stages can                          Starter fertilisers drilled close to seeds                  crops all require boron, and Cropzeal
impair the plant’s ability to forage for                    place high concentrations of the                            Boron Boost can be drilled next to the
nutrients, making it even harder for                        nutrients critical for a good start in the                  seed with relative safety at rates of
crops such as brassicas, which are                          best position (see Table 1).                                up to 150 kg/ha without harming the
already poor foragers of nutrients.                                                                                     seed. It can also be broadcast at higher
                                                            Ideal for cereals, the compound fertiliser                  rates. Molybdenum, also important
Application method makes a                                  YaraMila Actyva S is easy to drill, with                    for brassicas, is best addressed in the
difference                                                  smooth, free flowing granules less                          regular fertiliser programme as required.
                                                            prone to clogging drilling equipment. It
Starter fertiliser placed in close                                                                                      As compound fertilisers, both YaraMila
                                                            also spreads well, with tests showing it
proximity to the seed provides the P                                                                                    Actyva S and Cropzeal Boron Boost
                                                            can be spread up to 32 m bout widths
for early root development and growth.                                                                                  have a specific ratio of nutrients in each
                                                            on well calibrated spreaders.
Seedlings can access these nutrients                                                                                    granule, so provide nutrients evenly,
much more easily than if fertiliser is                      For fodder beet and shallow rooted                          promoting even growth and reduced
broadcast on the soil surface.                              brassicas such as turnips and swedes                        risk of striping.

                                                                                                               Fodder beet
                                                                                                              in a cultivated
                                                                                                               paddock with
                                                                                                           Olsen P 30, with DAP
                                                                                                          broadcast (on left) and
                                                                                                            DAP drilled next to
                                                                                                              seed (on right)

Figure 1 Effect of P application method on kale yield

Table 1 Starter fertilisers that can be drilled for cereal crops, brassicas and fodder beet

                                                                          Nitrogen          Phosphorus             Potassium             Sulphur              Also
 Crop                                  Fertiliser
                                                                              %                 %                      %                    %               contains
 Cereals                               YaraMila Actyva S                      15.0                  7.0                  12.5                3.0          Magnesium
 Brassicas and fodder beet             Cropzeal Boron Boost                   16.0                 19.5                  0.0                 1.0              Boron

1 Fletcher A, Wilson D, Maley S, Sinclair K, Arnold N, de Ruiter J, Armstrong S 2008. Crop & Food Research Confidential Report No 2225: Yield responses of forage brassicas
  to phosphorus rate and placement at sowing and to nitrogen application

                                                                                                                                                   Grow North Island / 13
Animal     Water        Plant   Soil

Two sides of copper
Too little or too much copper (Cu) can cause problems.
Copper (Cu), an essential micronutrient,
is frequently added with fertiliser, but
deficiency in both plants and animals
is increasingly widespread as farming
                                                                 Plants                                    Animals
removes soil’s natural Cu reserves.
Copper is needed by plants for
photosynthesis, transpiration and
nitrogen fixation. Animals also need                                                  Simple deficiency
Cu for functioning of the nervous and
                                                                    Low Cu levels in soil           Low Cu levels in pasture
immune systems, bone growth and hair
or wool pigmentation.                        Possible
                                              causes                                 Induced deficiency
Some caution is needed, however,
as excessive Cu intake can cause Cu
                                                               Alkaline (high pH) soils, soil    Molybdenum, iron, sulphur
toxicity in animals.
                                                               compaction, drought, very         and zinc affecting Cu
                                                               wet soils, heavy liming (may      absorption and utilisation
Copper deficiency                                              be a short term effect)
Low Cu soil or pasture levels can
cause Cu deficiencies in both plants
and animals (‘simple deficiency’) and
deficiencies can also be induced, for                                                              • Young stock
                                                               Sands, marine and river
example when a high soil pH decreases           Risk                                               • Grazing on brassicas (Cu
                                              factors          silts, peats, podzols,
Cu availability to plants (see Table 1).                       limestone soil with high pH           levels usually too low for
                                                                                                     animal health)
Animal Cu deficiencies are more
common in young stock, and deer and
cattle have greater Cu requirements                                                                Joint inflammation, bone
than sheep.                                                                                        fractures, osteochondrosis,
                                                               • Stunted growth, wither
Pasture testing is required to diagnose                          tip (tip goes white)              loss of co-ordination
                                            Symptoms                                               in hind legs, chronic
a simple deficiency in both plants           include           • Clovers and other
and animals (see page 16 for more                                                                  diarrhoea in spring (peat
                                                                 legumes more sensitive            scours), change in hair
information on herbage testing for Cu).                          than grasses
Visual diagnosis is insufficient, as a                                                             pigmentation, reduced
number of other issues produce similar                                                             immunity to disease
symptoms, and soil testing does not
indicate Cu levels of pasture.
                                                                                      Simple deficiency
Copper toxicity                                                                          Pasture testing
Excessive Cu intake from drenches,
                                            Diagnosis
licks, or from eating pasture recently
fertilised with Cu additives can cause                                               Induced deficiency
Cu toxicity, especially in sheep, which                                        If pasture testing indicates Cu deficiency
are more sensitive to Cu toxicity than                          Soil testing   (under 4 mg/kg DM) test blood or liver
cattle and goats.                                                              samples to confirm if deficiency is also induced
Symptoms in affected animals include
depression, lethargy, weakness,
jaundice, anorexia and thirst.                                                 • Veterinary treatment
                                                               Apply
                                                                               • Supplements e.g. Seales Winslow Cattle
Some supplements such as Palm Kernel        Treatment          Cu with
                                                                                 Winter Crop Block
Expeller (PKE) can have high Cu levels,                        fertiliser
and if fed in large amounts can push                                           • Applying trace elements to pasture
cows into the toxic range (especially
if Cu levels in the pasture are already    Table 1 Cu deficiency in plants and animals
high), making them more vulnerable
to death during stressful times such as
calving.                                       FOR MORE INFORMATION Contact your Ballance Nutrient Specialist.

14 /   ballance.co.nz
Animal       Water         Plant          Soil

What's in it?
We take a look at the nutrient content of some of Ballance’s key products.

                      N     P     K    S     Mg    Ca                             N       P        K         S            Mg        Ca
SustaiN               45.9 -      -    -     -     -      SOA (Nrich SOA)         19.5 -           -         22.0 -                 -
SustaiN 20K           27.5 -      20.0 -     -     -
SustaiN Ammo 30N      29.8 -      -    13.7 -      -

                                                                                  N       P        K        S         Mg Ca
                                                          Cropzeal 15P            13.2 15.0 12.5 0.8                  -         -
                      N     P     K    S     Mg    Ca     Cropzeal 20N            18.6 10.5 -               11.5 -              -
SurePhos*             -     7.8   -    9.5   2.0   22.0
                                                          Cropzeal Boron Boost 16.5 19.5 -                  1.0       -         + Boron

                                                                                   N          P        K        S         Mg        Ca
                      N     P     K    S     Mg    Ca     Serpentine Super            -    6.8         -       8.4        5.0       16.5
PhaSedN               25.3 -      -    28.5 0.1    5.7    Serpentine Super 10K        -    5.4     10.0        6.7        4.0       13.2
PhaSedN Quick Start   31.3 -      -    17.0 -      2.3    Kieserite Granular          -       -        -       16.0 16.0
                                                          Calmag                      -       -        -         -        38.0      1.7
                                                          Triple Superphosphate       -   19.0         -         -         -        13.0
                                                          Muriate of Potash           -       -    50.0          -         -            -
                      N     P     K    S     Mg    Ca
                                                          Sulphate of Potash          -       -    41.0 17.0               -            -
Superten              -     9.0   -    10.5 -      22.0
                                                          DAP                     17.6 20.0            -       1.0         -            -
Superten 10K          -     7.2   10.0 8.4   -     17.6

                                                                                  N       P        K         S            Mg        Ca
                      N     P     K    S     Mg    Ca     Yaramila Actyva S
                                                                                  15.0     7.0     12.5        3.0        1.2           -
PastureSure 10K*      7.6   4.9   10.0 6.0   1.3   14.0   15-7-12.5
PastureSure 15S*      9.5   5.9   -    15.0 0.8    15.8   YaraMila 12-10-10*      13.0 10.5 10.0               2.0        1.0           -
PastureSure Impact*   12.1 5.7    -    7.0   1.5   16.2   YaraMila Complex        12.0     5.0     15.0        8.0        1.6           -
                                                          YaraBela CAN            27.0        -        -         -        2.0       4.0

                                                                FOR MORE INFORMATION

                      N     P     K    S     Mg    Ca     For the nutrient content of all Ballance products, see the
                                                          price list at bit.ly/35Mfi3A
Sulphurgain Pure      -     -     -    90.0 -      -

                      N     P     K    S     Mg    Ca
Pasturemag            6.9   5.8   -    7.1   4.3   14.0
Pasturemag 10K        5.5   4.6   10.0 5.7   3.4   11.2

* North Island only

                                                                                                           Grow North Island / 15
Animal      Water       Plant     Soil

Testing above ground
Herbage testing is valuable for identifying issues                      This is because plant uptake of micronutrients can be
that soil testing cannot.                                               affected by factors such as soil type, soil compaction, soil
                                                                        pH and soil moisture. Herbage testing can also measure
“If productivity is less than expected, a macro- or micronutrient       plant concentrations of macronutrients, and thus reflect the
deficiency, or both, could be the issue,” says Ballance                 nutritional intake of grazing animals.
Environmental Management Specialist Ian Power.
                                                                        What type of herbage sample?
Regular soil testing identifies macronutrient deficiencies, but
what about micronutrients?                                              Different types of samples serve different purposes (see
                                                                        below). When taking a sample prior to grazing, avoid atypical
“For micronutrients, soil testing is only suitable for boron, and       areas such as urine patches, fence lines, gateways and close to
the only way to accurately assess if other micronutrient levels         troughs, hedges and trees.
are adequate for production is by herbage testing.”

                                                     What are you testing for?

           Nutrient deficiency                            Nitrogen deficiency                     Nutritive value of plant to animals

         Take a clover only sample                     Take a grass only sample                      Take a mixed pasture sample

Understanding herbage test results
Herbage test results provide a lot of information, as shown in this example.

                                                                                                “Generally, below optimum nutrient
                                 Level of                                   Level of nutrient
                                 nutrient
                                                      Optimum range
                                                                             compared to        levels in clover samples could mean
Sample type                                             of nutrient                             pasture growth is being restricted, and
                                in sample                                      optimum
                                                                                                nutrients may need to be applied,”
                                                                                                says Ian.
                                                                                                “However, other issues may be
 Analyses
undertaken                                                                                      impacting the clover’s nutrient uptake,
                                                                                                such as soil compaction, insect and
                                                                                                other pests, pH and other nutrient
                                                                                                levels. For example, if manganese (Mn)
Analyses as
% of sample                                                                                     levels in the clover are low the soil
                                                                                                pH may be high and restricting Mn
                                                                                                uptake. If an issue with nutrient uptake
                                                                                                is suspected, then herbage tests results
                                                                                                should be looked at in conjunction
                                                                                                with a soil test and a site inspection
                                                                                                for factors that could reduce nutrient
                                                              Analyses as                       uptake.”
                                                                mg/kg

                                                                                                     FOR MORE INFORMATION
                                                                                                Contact your Ballance Nutrient
                                                                                                Specialist.

  The mixed pasture sample has:                                                    The white clover sample has:
  • 0.39% phosphorus (3.9 g phosphorus in each kg of dry matter)                   • 0.36% phosphorus (3.6 g phosphorus in each kg
  • 8 mg/kg copper (0.008 g copper in each kg of dry matter)                         of dry matter)
  • below optimum nitrogen, calcium and copper, and all the other                  • 9 mg/kg copper (0.009 g copper in each kg of
    nutrients at or above optimum.                                                   dry matter)
                                                                                   • all the nutrients at or above optimum.

16 /   ballance.co.nz
Animal       Water        Plant         Soil

K response on brassicas
In what circumstances should potassium (K) be applied to a brassica crop?
Brassicas take up large amounts of K –        response to K added to brassicas such          low. As a rule of thumb, as the soil test
second only to the amount of nitrogen         as swedes and turnips with adequate            drops below 5 an increasing amount of
(N) they take up. A kale crop removes         soil K levels.                                 K (i.e. 50-100 kg K/ha) can be applied
even more K than N.                                                                          to ensure any yield response is achieved
                                              For example, there was no response             at low soil K levels. If soil K levels are 5
But applying K does not always improve        to K application in a 2008-9 Taranaki          or more, no K is required.
crop yield.                                   turnip trial at MAF QT K 52.
Potassium is one nutrient that plants can     A 2006 study found there was seldom                  FOR MORE INFORMATION
take up more of than they need (luxury        a response to K inputs when there was          Contact your Ballance Nutrient
uptake), resulting in plants containing       sufficient supply of K in the soil3.           Specialist.
excess K. Excessive application (or
poorly timed applications) of K can           A response is only observed if soil K          1 SD Armstrong, RC Butler, S Gowers 2000, swede
                                                                                               and kale fertiliser application trials 199/2000 Crop
contribute to luxury uptake, and waste        tests are very low. For example, in a            and Food Research confidential report No. 295.
money with no additional yield.               2008-9 swede trial with low soil K levels        Report prepared for Southfert.
                                              (MAF QT K of 2), the response was due          2 Fletcher AL, Johnstone P, Maley S, Arnold N, Read
                                                                                               JB, Zyskowski RF, Chakwizira E, Minchin R 2011.
Brassicas are usually grazed in situ          to the high yield potential and low soil         Development of the Forage Brassica Calculators
and often grown on soils with varying         test K value at the site2.                       – trial results. Report prepared for Ballance Agri-
levels of fertility, so the yield response                                                     Nutrients by Plant & Food Research
from applying fertiliser can be variable.     Recommendation for K                           3 Wilson DR, Reid JB, Zyskowski RF, Maley S,
                                                                                               Pearson AJ, Armstrong SD, Catto WD, Stafford AD
While New Zealand’s young soils               According to research, K is only                 2006. Forecasting fertiliser requirements of forage
generally have adequate levels of readily     recommended to be added to a crop
                                                                                               brassica crops. Proceedings of the New Zealand
                                                                                               Grassland Association 68: 205-210
available K for brassicas, the amount         for a K response when the soil K test is
of K available for plant use depends on
several factors such as the soil type,
past K inputs and land use.
                                              Table 1 Yields for 1999/2000 swede K fertiliser trial
An initial soil test prior to planting will
help determine fertiliser application                                                              Total dry matter (t/ha)
for optimal yield and economic return.
The challenge lies in using the soil          Treatment (kg K/ha)                              0                   50                    100
test results to decide on the types and
                                              Winton cultivar                                15.66               16.58                16.22
amounts of fertilisers to apply, including
how much, if any, K fertiliser to apply.      Doon Major cultivar                            12.66               12.35                12.73

Research on K response                        Least significant difference (5%)                                    1.3
One example of research in response to
this challenge tested three levels of K on         What’s this? To be real (with 95% confidence), the difference between the
swedes with a soil test level of MAF QT            treatments must be greater than this figure. When it isn’t, there is no significant
K 41. Potassium was applied at 0, 50 and           difference between treatments.
100 kg K/ha. Overall the trial showed no
significant effects from added K on total
dry matter yield (see Table 1).
Herbage K levels, monitored four times
between 7 February and 15 March,
were highest on K treated plots at the
first sampling date, then dropped and
remained similar to each other across
the remaining sampling dates (see
Figure 1).
This suggests that regardless of K
treatment, herbage K levels were
sufficient for yield, explaining why there
was no response to added K at this trial
site.
This result is supported by other work
which has found similar results of no         Figure 1 Effect of adding K to leaf K levels in 1999/2000 swede K fertiliser trial

                                                                                                                         Grow North Island / 17
Animal     Water        Plant   Soil

Is more intensive better?
Does more intensive soil                        “Most importantly, farmers who are interested in all paddock testing need to have a
sampling improve return on                      plan for how to use the data to ensure they get an ROI,” says Angus
investment (ROI)?
                                                Traditional versus all paddock testing
“Soil testing is known to effectively
monitor soil fertility trends over time,                          Traditional approach                                All paddock testing
and we’ve noticed a growing interest             Approach         • Soil test areas based on expected                 • Soil test every individual
in all paddock testing and other more                               differences in fertility due to soil                paddock
intensive soil sampling,” says Ballance                             type/management/crop
Science Extension Officer Angus
                                                 Pros             • Captures broad variations and                     • Captures more detailed
Dowson.
                                                                    trends in soil fertility                            variation in soil fertility
“This is largely driven by a desire to                            • Cost-effective (1-2 tests per                     • Allows for more tailored
optimise nutrient inputs and crop                                   management unit)                                    fertiliser plan
responses, and advances in GPS and
                                                 Cons             • Loses some of the inter-paddock                   • Higher cost
GIS technology make it possible.”
                                                                    variation                                         • Time consuming
On the surface it seems logical: more
                                                 When to          • Soil testing history is good      • Soil testing history not
sampling captures more detailed
                                                 use              • Paddocks have not been reformed     good
variability in soil fertility so enables more
tailored fertiliser recommendations and                             during farm development           • Paddocks have been
an improved ROI. But is this actually the                         • Fairly consistent long term farm/   reformed during farm
case?                                                               nutrient management                 development/conversions
                                                                  • Well established soil test transects              • Precision technology
More not always best                                                                                                    already used on farm
A review of current soil sampling
methods concluded that variability in                 FOR MORE INFORMATION Contact your Ballance Nutrient Specialist.
soil fertility, maximum potential yield
and crop value need to be considered            1 Knowles O, Dawson A, 2018. Current soil sampling methods - a review. Farm environmental planning – Science,
                                                  policy and practice. http://flrc.massey.ac.nz/publications.html. Occasional Report No. 31. Fertilizer and Lime
when choosing a soil sampling                     Research Centre, Massey University
strategy1.

Which approach should I use?                                                                                                      Traditional approach
“All paddock testing can be a valuable
tool for farmers who are already
using precision technology, such
as electromagnetic soil mapping,
and precision planters and fertiliser
spreaders to optimise crop yields,” says
Angus.
“It can also be useful in situations
where a farm’s base fertility is
completely unknown, with no or poor
soil testing history, such as after a farm
purchase. All paddock testing can help                                                                                             All paddock testing
to guide sampling in the future.
“But if soil test history is good, blocks
have been well established, and
management is ‘stable’, traditional
‘directed’ soil sampling of blocks or
land management units is perfectly
adequate for creating robust fertiliser
plans.”

18 /   ballance.co.nz
Animal    Water       Plant     Soil

Sustainable soil tests
Good management can                                                                  Has the
prevent cadmium (Cd) from                                                          farm been
accumulating to potentially                                                         tested in
                                                                                    the last 5
harmful levels in soils.                                          Yes                years?                   No
Cadmium is a naturally occurring
element found in many phosphorus (P)
fertilisers, that, at elevated levels, can be          What is the Cd                          Conduct screening testing
toxic to humans and livestock.                         concentration?                      (standard transects, 75 mm deep)

Sensible fertiliser use and farm
management will keep cadmium                                                         Conduct definitive testing (transects through
Animal     Water        Plant   Soil

Is calcium needed?
Do we need to add calcium (Ca)               according to an examination of data                Table 1 Some Ballance fertilisers
to our soils or not?                         from numerous studies.” (See page                  containing Ca
                                             19 of Grow Spring 2020 for more
“Plants need Ca, but deficiency is           information.)                                       Fertiliser                     Ca %
virtually unknown in New Zealand
as our soils are naturally quite high        Possible pitfalls                                   SurePhos                           22
in it,” says Ballance Environmental          “Besides the fact that there is sufficient          PastureSure range           11.8 - 16.5
Management Specialist Ian Power.             Ca in our soils, applying it can cause
While an absolute Ca deficiency has          animal health issues,” says Ian.                    Superten                           22
never been reported in New Zealand for       For dairy cows, a high dietary intake                                            11 - 19.8
                                                                                                 Potash Superten blends
pasture or crops, in some fruit at certain   of Ca can cause milk fever, and it is
times demand can outstrip supply.            recommended to avoid lime application               Sulphurgain blends           13.8 - 21
For example, Ca deficiency can cause         several months before calving and to
                                                                                                 Serpentine Super                16.5
bitter pit in apples, and calcium chloride   also avoid direct Ca supplementation
or calcium nitrate sprays are used to        during the dry period (non-lactating                Potash Serpentine Super
                                             period before calving).                                                          8.3 - 14.9
prevent it from occurring.                                                                       blends

“Some consultants who follow the ratio       Applying Ca to the soil can also                    PastureMag range              6.6 - 14
theory might recommend high inputs of        exacerbate the leaching of Mg. When
                                             the ratio of Ca to Mg increases, the Ca             Gypsum                        20 - 23
Ca,” says Ian.
                                             can displace some of the Mg bound
                                                                                                 Lime                          30 - 40
The ratio theory proposes that the ratio     on the cation exchange sites, so more
of Ca, potassium, and magnesium              Mg is in the soil solution and at risk of           Dolomite                      15 - 20
(Mg) are important, and that plants          leaching.
grow best in a soil with 60-80 per cent                                                          Ballance Dicalcic
                                             Many fertilisers applied to supply other                                            30.9
of the available cation exchange sites                                                           Pastoral
occupied by Ca.                              nutrients also contain Ca (see Table 1).
                                                                                                 Reactive phosphate rock
                                                                                                                               30 - 35
                                                                                                 (RPR)
“But in most situations this is
                                                  FOR MORE INFORMATION
unnecessary, as there is sufficient Ca
in most soils. The ratio theory also         Contact your Ballance Nutrient
results in inefficient use of resources,     Specialist.

                                                                                                    Calcium’s role in
                                                                                                     soil and plants
                                                                                               In soil, Ca affects soil aggregate
                                                                                            stability (regulation of the movement
                                                                                                 and storage of air and water
                                                                                                  throughout the soil profile).
                                                                                          In plants, Ca is a component of cell walls
                                                                                           and membranes, is required for protein
                                                                                             synthesis and ion uptake, mediates
                                                                                                some enzyme reactions and is
                                                                                                  important for root and tip
                                                                                                         development.

20 /   ballance.co.nz
Animal   Water    Plant     Soil

                A pivot that
               irrigates and
             provides fertiliser.

Spotlight on
fertigation
More light is being shed on using fertigation to get the most from nitrogen (N) applications.

A Sustainable Farming Fund (SFF)                similar amounts of crude protein,           Trials to date have been conducted on
project is investigating if urea applied        neutral detergent fibre content and         cut and carry blocks, and future trials
by fertigation could increase N use             metabolisable energy.                       may also consider nutrient transfer
efficiency, clover content, and pasture                                                     from grazing animals. Additional
production and quality compared to              Effects of season and rate                  measurements including N leaching
solid urea.                                     The second year of the project involved     and N fixation will also be important
                                                two trials at Lincoln University during     to consider under a fertigation and
In the project’s first year, which involved                                                 conventional dairy farm system.
two trials at Lincoln University during         the 2020/21 season, looking at the
the 2019/20 season, fertigation did             effect of fertigation only in shoulder      Ballance is collaborating with
not result in an increase in pasture            months, and of varying application          IrrigationNZ, the Ministry for Primary
production or quality across different N        rates.                                      Industries, Pāmu Farms of New Zealand
treatments.                                     One trial tested whether applying           and others on this project.
In the first trial, solid urea fertiliser was   fertiliser only in shoulder months (as
                                                opposed to throughout the season)                FOR MORE INFORMATION
applied and irrigated either immediately
or two days later, or was fertigated            would produce similar pasture               The project’s year 1 summary results
(dissolved in water and applied with            production and quality, due to increased    report is available at bit.ly/3zeEuwj
irrigation) onto mixed perennial ryegrass       clover content boosting production
                                                throughout the summer season.               PHOTOS: IrrigationNZ
and white clover pastures. Over a period
of eight months, seven harvests were            A second trial, looking at fertigation
taken, with each of the three application       application rates, compared the pasture                             Lincoln
treatments producing similar amounts            production, pasture quality and clover                             University
of dry matter (DM).                             content produced by fertigation at 16 kg                        Masters student
In the second trial, pasture production         N/ha, 20 kg N/ha and 24 kg N/ha.                               Tommy Lee worked
was compared across different                                                                                     on the trials.
                                                IrrigationNZ plans to release the results
application frequencies. Nitrogen               of these trials in spring 2021.
was either fertigated once a month or
weekly onto mixed perennial ryegrass            Future directions
and white clover pastures. An identical
total amount of N was applied in both           The project hopes to provide irrigators
cases – 25 kg N/ha once a month                 with clear information for successful
or 6.25 kg N/ha per week. Both                  fertigation, including advice on how
approaches again produced similar               to successfully design, install, and
amounts of DM.                                  manage fertigation systems. Irrigation
                                                systems with fertigation must generally
Pasture quality was not affected by             be managed differently to conventional
application method, frequency or                irrigation systems.
rate, with all treatments producing

                                                                                                               Grow North Island / 21
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