guardian farming - december 2012

An Ashburton Guardian Feature

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December 2012

GUARDIAN FARMING

Exciting times ahead for district’s farmersp 2-4

water matters 2

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Any feedback is welcome, any comments about our magazine, letters or story suggestions.

Please direct any correspondence to: Linda Clarke, on 307-7971 email: [email protected] or write to PO Box 77, Ashburton.

Advertising: Phone 307-7900 Email: [email protected] Publication date: December, 2012

Next issue: January 15, 2012

An advertising feature for the Ashburton Guardian. Any opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of Guardian Farming or the Ashburton Guardian.

GUARDIAN FARMING

John Carson’s been wishing for some lateral spray irrigators for Christmas for a couple of years. It might happen soon.

The Winchmore research farm John manages uses water from the Ashburton Lyndhurst irrigation scheme and scheme shareholders have recently voted to convert some 200km of open channels to pipe. It means water will be delivered under pressure to the farm’s gates and John can hook up new spray irrigators without the cost of pumping.

It is inevitable, he says, that the farm will switch to spray irrigation. But farm owners AgResearch will have to be persuaded to foot the bill first.

Spray irrigation will be a new era on the 308ha property, developed

60 years ago for irrigation research and trials. Long-running trials have evaluated the effects of phosphate fertiliser application, losses of phosphate in irrigation water, differing pasture species and insect pests.

Mr Carson says the farm’s border-dyke irrigation system takes at least 300 man hours a season to set up and operate; he will put laterals on the list for budget discussions in the new year.

“It is always on my list, but they don’t want to do it yet.”

He said switching to spray irrigation would not affect on-going trials at the farm. “It would make no difference, with computer technology we can turn the sprinklers on and off for different rates of water.”

Story continues next page

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Winchmore, and many of the 234 shareholders on the scheme, are making big decisions about how they will use water in the future.

The shareholders voted overwhelmingly (82 per cent) in favour of piping. An earlier piping project means 18 per cent of the scheme is already piped; this second stage will cost around $95 million, separate to the investment on farm for centre pivots or spray irrigators to better handle the water.

Scheme chairman John van Polanen said the prospectus for farmer-shareholders wanting piped water could be out before Christmas. The final design would depend on uptake.

A contract for the installation could be signed by the end of March and the first earthworks in late winter or early spring. The work is expected to take two and a half years.

Water Infrastructure Group (formerly Tyco) is the preferred tenderer for the work and has already prepared costings. Tyco designed and installed the first piping stage.

Mr van Polanen said while the scheme’s shareholders voted overwhelmingly for the project, not all wanted to go into debt to pay for it and new spray irrigators. Those farmers would be able to sell their shares, or negotiate

a swap for groundwater; 66 per cent of the scheme already has spray irrigation.

The project has generated plenty of talk about water use, though no direct inquiries from shareholders buying or selling.

Shareholders wanting the water will be able to save electricity costs by not having to pump water from a ditch. “Gravity on the pipe schemes is enough for them to hook up their spray irrigators. Some big operators are still on borderdyke. They will require a large investment to spray irrigators.

“And on the smaller blocks, there are those who can’t wait, and those who don’t want to know about it. If we come across a whole road of people where they are all fed off one ditch, we could build a pond and then run it down to them. It is an option, though a fairly expensive one.”

People will not have a choice paying though. If you are a shareholder, you will pay a portion of the cost to pipe.

“Quite a few said it doesn’t suit me, but I can see what you want to do and it will be good for the district long-term. Some people looked at it from their own point of view and what was best for them.”

Story continues over page

water matters 4

Mr van Polanen is excited about the project, which has required several years of communicating with farmers about the big picture. He says water efficiencies generated by piping will irrigate another 4000ha of dryland and that will create opportunities on farm. More dairy farms might result, or more growing crops for dairy support.

“I think the strong message that comes out is about water efficiency. Farmers are serious about leaving the scheme better than what it was when they joined and they are serious about making the most of every drop of water.”

Spray irrigation will also help farmers meet new nutrient limits being imposed across Canterbury.

The development is being funded almost entirely by farmers.

“This also sends a message to all people that the rural community does not squander the resource available to them, and that benefit at the end of the day comes through to everyone.

If you can irrigate a larger area with the same amount of water, it is intensifying farming and that provides more jobs.”

The project is also exciting for those outside the scheme. The Mayfield Hinds Irrigation Scheme is considering piping its scheme, the biggest of the four taking water from the Rangitata Diversion Race. There are also opportunities for the Ashburton District Council to incorporate its inefficient stockwater race system into the new pipes.

Just 4 per cent of the water in the stockraces is consumed by stock and Mr van Polanen suggests the considerable amount of water diverted from the Ashburton River upper catchment into the stock race might be better left in the river.

Rangitata Diversion Race CEO Ben Curry said the 70-year-old RDR would be an important piece of plumbing in the bigger water picture, capable of pushing water north or south.

The RDR company is also progressing with plans to build a huge storage lake at Klondyke that could complement storage at Lake Coleridge, if TrustPower’s plans for that gain consent.

The Klondyke lake could create a reliable water supply for irrigators when run-of-river takes are restricted.

Mr Curry said a fatal flaw analysis had been conducted by experts, who could come up with no cultural, ecological or other “show-stopping” reason for the lake not to go ahead.

Discussion is now on how big the lake might be anything from five million cubic metres, to 100 million cubic metres. A large lake could cost $400m.

He said RDR shareholders were keen on storage. “The RDR board is cautious though, with the Land and Water Regional Plan dampening the appetite of farmers for on-farm intensification and therefore water.”

Early demand for water from the scheme this season has been low, though that can change in a heartbeat. TrustPower is generating off the excess in the canal.

In other schemes, Valetta is still completing its piping project, with hopes to have water flowing before Christmas. The open races have been retained until water can flow in the new pipes.

The RDR canal will also be shut for several weeks at the end of the season in April so engineers can repair the intake at the Rangitata River at Klondyke. Gravel and stones have taken a toll on the concrete structure and the damage was recorded by divers with video cameras last month.

The whole canal will be swept for potential problems during the shutdown.

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A wasteful society is a relatively new concept. I spent my childhood on a farm at Winchmore and very little was thrown away. Fundamentally the farm produced most of the food for the kitchen table and some to share with friends and relatives in town, including fruit from the abundant orchard. My grandfather had spent a month’s earnings on fruit trees to plant that orchard with a range of early season to late season fruiting trees and, although it was a bone of contention with my nana at the time, the investment paid off for several generations and there was nothing quite like hanging out in the orchard with your mates and feasting on fresh peaches, apples, pears and plums. Any surplus was bottled and the preserves had their own special room to store all the precious glass jars in between seasons.

Potatoes, tomatoes, beans, artichokes, beetroot and giant carrots and parsnips grew in the carefully tended veggie garden and any surplus was sealed in glass jars as sauces, jams or chutneys or packed carefully into the freezer. Our idea of play included lying on old tyres in the irrigation ditches and imagining we were floating down a great river. We played with whatever we had, mostly the pups, kittens and chickens we were helping to rear, giving them all names

and teaching them tricks if possible. For kids at that time, growing up in rural Australia, Korea, Europe or America would essentially have been the same. Nothing would have been wasted. This is not true today.

Waste is food for life or the source of pollution and death, depending on what it is made from and where it ends up. Industrial waste can visit us far into the future haunting our rivers, aquifers, soils and bloodstreams. The drinks contained in plastic bottles are consumed in minutes, but the polymers last for centuries. Degradable plastic bags break down into small pieces of plastic and ultimately end up in our waterways and oceans. Commercial carpets are discarded after about eight years but their PVC backing will remain in landfills for 300 centuries. Plutonium waste from nuclear power plants will need to be guarded for 2500 years - civilisation is about 70 centuries old. We don’t know the long-term effects of all the veterinary or pharmaceutical products or personal body products that have become a part of our daily lives.

We are newbies on the planet and so is our waste. Much of the waste humans make now is something the planet has never seen before such as electronic waste – which cannot easily be taken apart so requires special handling facilities.

The natural world produces more waste than the debris created by the seven billion people who live on the earth. But in nature everything that decays, crumbles or rots becomes food for the invisible bacteria, fungi and other creatures that live in our soils and oceans. Healthy food we eat depends on the decomposition of the soil beneath it. Chemical contamination from products such as herbicides and fertilisers can interfere with this process, causing pollution in streams and contaminating groundwater with nitrates.

It is a balancing act working with nature, keeping our families and communities healthy and strong. We are introducing ever more industrial products to our homes and farms with intensification and the push to produce more. For most of us our waste is such an unconscious part of our existence. Our hearts will break over and over again if we destroy who we are, whether it is our children, our grandchildren or our homeland; we have so much to lose.

Sheryl Stivens, Eco Efficiency Co-ordinator Mastagard Ashburton [email protected]

For help with waste minimisation call the community recycling helpline 0800-627-824

The balancing act

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Carew Peel Forest expanding their knowledge of packaging and recycling during a recent visit to the eco education Centre and tour of the Ashburton Resource Recovery Park.

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IrrigationNZ has contracted a pilot programme with the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA) to provide 20 irrigation energy evaluations throughout Canterbury and North Otago.

The idea is that this pilot will lead to a larger industry programme in the future. The project is being supported by lines companies in each of the regions where the programme is being piloted. The need for the project is driven by the increasing demand on national and regional infrastructure and the opportunity that IrrigationNZ and EECA see to improve irrigation energy use.

Until now very little focus has been placed on energy efficiency by the irrigation sector. The lack of relevant studies meant a pilot was necessary to satisfy EECA criteria for funding allowing a larger programme to be successfully contracted.

The pilot programme consists of 20 irrigation evaluations. There are going to be four evaluations in each of the line companies regions taking in Mainpower, Orion, Electricity Ashburton, Alpine Energy and Waitaki Lines. Evaluations are carried out by personnel who have gained the Irrigation Evaluation NZQA qualification developed by IrrigationNZ.

To select the properties IrrigationNZ is working closely with the lines companies to enlist a cross section of irrigators. The main criteria being an irrigator must be using a minimum of 200,000

kilowatt hours. In the first instance the larger users are where the greatest savings are likely to be found.

There will be two components of the evaluations:

Irrigation evaluation – looking at the irrigator to assess the application of water is correct, and considering the need for irrigation ie the scheduling of irrigation.

Distribution evaluation – looking at the compatibility of hardware to the demand for pumping, and energy efficiency of the pump and motor setup.

From the evaluations an action plan will be drawn up of which the irrigator will be expected to follow, and IrrigationNZ will follow through with case studies and possibly field days to showcase the gains.

With the combination of funders the evaluation cost to the irrigator is able to be substantially reduced. Depending on the level of spend required to make changes and the payback period, EECA will also subsidise the capital cost starting at 15 per cent up to 40 per cent, designed to get a payback of two years.

This is an exciting project of benefit to irrigators and has regional and national significance as energy supply and security is high on the list of priorities.

Contributed by IrrigationNZ projects manager Paul Reese

Irrigator’s power use analysed

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As summer approaches, one of New Zealand’s most serious pasture pests, porina, is emerging from the soil to mate and scatter vast numbers of eggs. It will cost farmers many millions of dollars.

AgResearch scientists are working on a chemical-free biopesticide that kills the pasture-munching caterpillars that emerge in huge numbers each spring and summer. It also kills the notoriously damaging grass grub and a major apple orchard pest, the bronze beetle.

The biopesticide is a naturally-occurring bacterium, Yersinia entomophaga (or Ye). It was discovered in a grass grub corpse during a search for alternatives to chemical pesticides such as organophosphates, which are being phased out. When eaten by pest insects, Ye releases toxins that “burst open the gut” and cause rapid death, says Dr Mark Hurst of AgResearch’s Innovative Farm Systems group, who led the research team.

“The bacterium is very good at killing a large variety of insects, especially beetles and moths. It doesn’t, however, harm earthworms, honeybees or other beneficial organisms that we’ve checked,” says Dr Hurst. “Plus it does not persist in soil, which is important for any control agent if it is to be clean and green.”

A common concern with pesticides is that target pests will become resistant to them. This happens with the biopesticide Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis). However, because

Ye uses several different methods to kill insects, Dr Hurst believes it is extremely unlikely that insects could develop resistance to it.

A novel biopesticide product based on Ye is being explored with industry partner Ballance Agri-Nutrients, with the co-operative providing investment and offering some commercial disciplines to the development process.

”The project is linked with our Primary Growth Partnership research in terms of looking at biological tools that improve on-farm productivity and sustainability,” says Ballance Research and Development Manager, Warwick Catto.

”While it’s early stage research, there’s no doubt the development of new biologically-based solutions for pasture pest control has considerable economic and production potential.”

Ongoing research is yielding detailed knowledge of Ye and how it interacts with target insects, some of which was published in prestigious international journals in the past year. Last December a Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences paper described the structure of Ye’s toxic weaponry, which is the only toxin of its kind known to include enzymes that dissolve insects’ skeletal structure. In July a paper in Applied and Environmental Microbiology described how Ye disintegrates the insect gut.

Dr Hurst points out that such knowledge will improve the effectiveness of a Ye-based commercial product and allow tailor-made formulations. It is also vital to the product gaining registration as a pesticide with New Zealand’s food safety and environmental protection regulators, a process that is underway and generally takes several years.

Ye also kills other globally problematic crop pests including the diamondback moth, white butterfly, Japanese beetle and locusts. Biopesticides such as Ye are being developed by AgResearch to help New Zealand producers meet increasing international demand for products such as meat, dairy and fruit with no pesticide residue. They are also expected to improve productivity and reduce the environmental footprint of pastoral farming.

Research into Ye has been funded by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, and two Ministry for Primary Industries programmes, the Primary Growth Partnership Fund, through which Ballance Agri Nutrients has invested in it, and the Sustainable Farming Fund.

Other scientists involved with this research are from AgResearch’s Innovative Farm Systems group, Plant & Food Research and the Universities of Auckland and Queensland.

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the cost of debt 8

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Contributed by John Leadley

AddressingFirstly I would like to thank the many

people who contacted me regarding my last article in Guardian Farming titled “To Work - or Not to Work”.

It is reassuring to know others share my somewhat outdated values in respect of New Zealand’s welfare system.

Just last week I was privileged to visit a local industry where most of the workforce was of Philippine origin and speaking with staff, all were happy with their lot. Managerial comment regarding migrant staff revolved around commitment, work ethic and efficiency, when making comparisons.

I was not surprised when a young family staff member commented that his now elderly (but still working daily) grandfather had drummed into his brain early in life, that the only place where reward comes before work is in a dictionary.

To quote YMCA Ashburton Manager, Avis Page from the Guardian of November 27: “Some Ashburton youth have unrealistic

expectations around pay and working hours. A poor work attitude and bad work ethic by some youth, has forced employees to look outside the district for workers.”

Serious food for thought.

There has been much comment recently, as usual chiefly emanating from Auckland, around the affordability of housing. However the problem is one of huge national concern.

I believe unencumbered home ownership by age 60 should be a major commitment for every couple or individual in New Zealand. Success will come with self discipline and prioritisation.

While it would take a brave government to endorse policies that would foster this regime, it would certainly be the best outcome from a personal and national perspective, into the future.

The days of everyone owning their own quarter acre paradise are certainly

well gone. Current interest rates are at their lowest in a decade and predicted to remain low, so now is the optimum time for government to provide some real incentives.

Yes it will cost money in the interim, but the long-term financial benefits are huge.

A big question though. Do we have a political party willing to look beyond the next election? Somehow I doubt it.

During the 1950s-70s the State Advances Corporation, forerunner to what is now Housing New Zealand, made available government subsidised home loans at 3-3.5 per cent repayable over a 25-year table mortgage for first home owners. Bank interest rates of the time were at similar levels as today ie 5 per cent. Many loans were repaid well before the term was up as inflation took care of income-to-payment ratios.

The result after 25 years and tens of thousands of families taking advantage of this initiative was a whole generation of

New Zealanders owning their own home, debt free, at retirement.

From my own perspective, despite being a contempary of that generation, my major purchase was a small farm and century old house which was rightly defined as a business and therefore ineligible. This of course was totally appropriate as my mortgage interest payments were justifiably tax deductable.

With the current level of home ownership amongst New Zealanders continually dropping from 66 per cent in 2008 to 64 per cent today, repercussions will be ongoing.

This is an unsustainable decline.

The large number of farm workers (particularly dairy) who enjoy employer supplied accommodation need to be aware that someday they’ll need a home of their own to live in. I thought the method used by mentor Jack Brand and others of paying a portion of wages direct to an employee’s home ownership account

the cost of debt9

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was highly commendable.

Maybe Kiwisaver will fill this void in time.

Speaking of farm debt, I never cease to be amazed at the level of debt many farmers seem comfortable living with.

The assumption that land values will remain high is a flawed concept.

For those that farmed through the 1980s this scenario is very real. Indeed timing of farm development and a 40 per cent decline in land values was the death knell for many high producing farm units at that time. There is no certainty that this combination of factors will not repeat sometime in the future. It’s indeed disappointing when farmers have a “good year” (as many have in the last decade), to see them focussing on expensive overseas holidays, boats and other luxuries at the expense of debt repayment, fertiliser or improved environmental outcomes.

This message was reinforced to me recently at the Bi-annual NZ Conference of

the 14 Rural Support Trusts, in Wellington. Keynote speaker ANZ Chief Economist Con Williams in describing the global financial scene as at best “wobbly” and dependent on the whim of European politicians, bravely telling the gathering of farmers and ex-farmers they needed to focus more on equity and increased production, rather than holiday homes and Lotto tickets!

Best performers are always those who focus on debt reduction in good years, he noted.

Continuing this theme, Minister of Primary Industries dairy adviser Nick Dalgety estimated the average dairy farm profit for the current season at $71,000 before tax.

Even more concerning was his expectation that 30-40 per cent of dairy farmers would end the year in June with a cash deficit.

A very poor return on investment and for the stress involved!

However, worse was to come when discussion turned to Support Trust involvement with kiwifruit farmers with psa virus infestations.

Harvest estimates for this season have fallen by 50 per cent in two years for the gold variety to 15 million trays. As at November 18, 2012, and despite $42 million being spent on management, 65 per cent of New Zealand’s orchards were affected by the virus for which there is no known treatment.

Many growers have zero equity and are reliant on WINZ payments for day-to-day living. Furthermore Trusts’ representatives reported some stress related suicides. A devastating scenario.

Farming is a rewarding lifestyle when things are going well, but like all industries is vulnerable to rapid change due to circumstances beyond the control of participants.

A strong level of equity is one safeguard that I believe needs greater focus.

There have been many times in the last 50 years where entrepreneurial businesspeople who borrowed the most money have come out with the best financial gain. With world economies now being driven from Europe and Asia I doubt this will remain the case.

What I do know is that any business with a sound equity base is in a better position to ride out any downturn.

Furthermore on the home ownership situation, my wish is for many young people to re-categorise their priorities to focus on the real necessities.

I’m told that drive-in banks are being established to enable vehicles to see who their real owners are!

The role model of indebtedness fostered by successive governments is not one that will keep New Zealand among the world’s top economies.

The time to address this is now.

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Contributed by Mary Ralston, Forest and Bird

The curse of didymo has been visited upon some of our lovely local lakes and rivers. Didymo is a type of algae originally from the Northern Hemisphere that has found its way here, perhaps on the waders of a visiting fisherman. It can form blooms that look like brown muck, which has led to didymo’s nickname “rock snot”.

Didymo was first detected in the South Island in 2004 and is now found in many South Island lakes and rivers, including Lake Wakatipu and the Waitaki River. Locally it is found in the Rangitata, the South Ashburton as far up as Buicks Bridge, Deep Creek, Gentleman Smith Stream and the front Maori lake. It needs a firm substrate on which to anchor itself, such as a lake bottom or river bed. It also likes cool water, stable river flows, and lots of light and oxygen which ironically are characteristics of many of our otherwise pristine lakes and rivers.

Dense colonies of didymo are called blooms. They have occurred in the Ashburton River but fortunately they can be dislodged by a flood following a nor-west

storm. The “bloom” flows downstream and when washed up on a river bank looks like a mass of dirty toilet paper.

It is hard to predict when blooms will occur. Waterways can be infected with the microscopic cells of the algae without necessarily turning into blooms – cells have been detected in Lake Heron but there have been no blooms so far and everyone is hoping that this won’t occur.

Lakes Clearwater, Camp, Roundabout and Emma do not seem to be infected. The main way didymo is spread is by humans inadvertently taking it from an infected waterway to a non-infected one on fishing gear, tramping boots, boats, bikes or kayaks.

Freshwater users and the general public need to continue to heed the message to “check, clean and dry” between every waterway. It is a simple procedure to ensure gear is free of didymo: firstly check – look for any obvious plant or algae attached to gear or clothing (and remove if there is); clean – soak or scrub all items of clothing and equipment that have been wet with a 5 per

cent measure of biodegradable dishwashing solution for at least one minute; dry – the item should be dry to the touch and then leave it for another 48 hours before using in a different waterway.

Cleaning stations are available at some sites, such as at the entrance to the Hakatere Conservation Park and at Lake Heron. Some fishermen who like to fish in different places have two sets of fishing gear so that they have one set cleaned and drying while they are out with the other set. This is a good approach to a problem that will seriously affect all recreationalists if conditions permit blooms to occur: colonies of didymo can form inpenetrable mats, choking lake edges and riverbeds. No fun for fishing or kayaking and no good for our wildlife either.

So please – remember to “check, clean, dry” between every waterway this summer – our lakes and rivers depend on everyone doing their bit.

For more information, visit www.biosecurity.govt.nz/cleaning

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As pressure mounts throughout New Zealand to improve the efficiency with which we use nutrients, many farmers are finding that good quality humic compounds when used appropriately with their fertiliser provide many benefits.

There has been very little field research carried out on fertiliser practices in New Zealand for more than 20 years and it is important that this area of agricultural practice be studied in greater depth. The need for innovative research on the efficiency of fertiliser use and fate of nutrients applied to soils is becoming more pertinent as we intensify our farming operations and put more pressure on our soil and water resources.

There is often confusion around the terms soil organic matter, humus, humic compounds and humates and this adds to the confusion as to the validity of using humate or humate extracts in modern fertiliser programmes.

The following are definitions used most widely in modern soil science texts and they help us understand the major differences between soil organic matter, humus and various humate products that may be used in fertiliser programmes:

• Soil Organic Matter (SOM) - plant and animal derived organic material present in soil.

• Humus - dark structure less substance that results from the biological decomposition of soil organic matter.

• The long chain carbohydrate polymers that result from humus creation are known as humic compounds and are divided into groups based on their solubility at various pH levels.

• Humic acid is the portion of humic compounds soluble in alkali conditions (high pH).

• Fulvic acid is the portion of humic compounds soluble in acid conditions (low pH).

• Humate is the soft overburden associated with coal deposits. Some humate products being sold have been manufactured from compost and other organic materials. The usefulness of humates in agriculture is related to the amount of active humic compounds that are present in the product used.

New Zealand soils are generally high in SOM but this does not mean we have soils that are rich in humic compounds. A common misconception is that humic acid, fulvic acid or other humate products are introduced into a fertiliser programme to add to the soil organic matter. At the rates used the humic compounds employed have no direct affect at all on soil organic matter levels. They do however enhance many useful functions in soils and plants as described by over 10,000 articles published relating to humic substances, humic acids and fulvic acids. Much of this science is reviewed in a recent report on humic products

published by the New South Wales Department of Primary Industries entitled “Humic products. Potential or presumption for agriculture” .

Trials undertaken in many countries show that humic compounds may have the following effects on plants and soils:

• Enhanced length and weight of the roots. • Increased crop yields. • Improved soil structure and water holding

capacity. • Increased solubility and uptake of plant

nutrients. • Increased efficiency and uptake of phosphate

and nitrogen fertiliser • Reduced phosphorous fixation.

There has been little published research carried out in New Zealand on the use of humates or humic compounds in our arable or pastoral production systems but there is no reason to suggest that the overseas studies would not be relevant in New Zealand.

There is, however, a significant amount of evidence from farmer trials and on-farm measurements in NZ that indicate many benefits can be obtained through the use of humic acid and fulvic acid products in New Zealand farming situations. These include:

• Improved soil structure, porosity and decreased levels of ponding.

• Greater root length and density. • Improved water holding capacity. • Higher numbers of worms, protozoa, fungi,

bacteria, actinomycetes and other soil organisms. • Improved nitrogen efficiency. (More dry matter

produced per kg of N fertiliser applied) • Improved pasture quality as evidenced by

improved animal production and improved animal health.

The source and quality of humate products available in New Zealand is exceedingly variable with the following products most commonly used:

• Raw humates. Largely insoluble. Usefulness depends on particle size and the type of deposit.

• Humic acid. Commonly used as a solid fertiliser additive. Potassium hydroxide or sodium hydroxide extract from raw humate. Quality is dependant on the quality of the raw humate the product is derived from.

• Fulvic acid. Used in liquid fertiliser applications. Has powerful chelating ability to enhance uptake of nutrients into plant tissue.

Farmers should use caution when choosing humate products to ensure they get good quality products that will deliver the many benefits available from humic compounds when they are used appropriately.

Contributed by Dr Phillip Schofield, farm performance consultant

Humates improve nutrient efficiency

Photo sUPPlIeD

Dr Philip schofield.

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A new study by AgResearch scientists shows oral cattle drenches are far more effective than the equivalent pour-on or injectable products.

In a study soon to be published in the international science journal Veterinary Parasitology, AgResearch scientists Chris Miller and Dave Leathwick measured how effective the same drench active (moxidectin) was when given orally, as a pour-on or as an injectable.

They conducted trials on 14 farms throughout New Zealand, and say while pour-ons and injectables are easier to use, they do not deliver the same benefits.

“Based on overseas data, I would not have been surprised if the pour-on product was generally less effective than the other two routes as there are issues with drug penetrating the skin and animals either licking the drug off their own backs or their neighbours,” says Dr Leathwick.

“We also thought the oral drug would work pretty well, while injectable macrocyclic lactones (the drug family which includes moxidectin, ivermectin, abamectin etc.) are regarded as the gold standard when treating cattle parasites on a global basis.”

He says when the results were analysed, the study confirmed how ineffective the pour-on product was, reducing the number of worm eggs shed in faeces by only around 50 per cent.

“What came as a surprise, however, was that the injectable product performed no better than the pour-on. In comparison, the much cheaper oral product reduced worm egg output by over 90 per cent.”

The parasite surviving treatment was predominantly cooperia, which on most farms showed a level of resistance to these drugs. However, this was not always the case and the presence of resistance does not explain the difference between the routes of administration.

Dr Leathwick says the results are probably related to how the drug reaches the target (ie the worms) after it is administered. Drugs given as injections or pour-ons have to be absorbed into an animal’s bloodstream, and

then re-circulated to be released into the gut tissue where the worms live. This is easier for an injectable than for a pour-on product, as the latter has to get through a hide, which has evolved to keep things out.

“This became obvious when we measured the amount of drug in the bloodstream in the treated cattle – the levels were far higher in the animals given injections than in those treated with either of the other two routes.”

He says despite these results, the oral drench was still better at killing worms. “We don’t know for sure why this is the case, but some recent overseas work suggests that the oral drug does not need to rely on absorption and transport around the body in order to reach worms living in the gut.

“Instead, the drug gets bound to material in the gut and passes directly to the organs where the worms live. It appears that this results in higher overall levels of drug reaching the target worms-hence higher efficacy.

“What we have already proven is that using drugs with higher efficacy against worms lifts animal productivity, while killing more worms by using an effective drench reduces the selection pressure for resistance to develop, promoting the sustainability of worm control.”

Dr Leathwick says follow-up studies have confirmed that this is not unique to moxidectin and that other pour-on and injectable products were no more effective.

“The next steps are to repeat the study against different worm species and also develop techniques to measure drug concentrations in the tissues where the worms live.”

He says there is four to five years of research ahead to determine whether the research findings apply equally to all worm species, and to assess the likely implications for long-term, effective worm control should farmers continue to use pour-on or injectable products.

New research shows oral cattle drench most effective

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Farm nutrient company Ballance is continuing to tune up the transport industry with GoClear, an exhaust additive that reduces emissions, with production of the solution reaching two million litres this month since manufacturing commenced in 2010.

GoClear is a high purity aqueous urea solution injected into the exhaust of diesel engines using Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) technology to reduce nitrogen oxide emissions by converting nitrogen oxide into harmless components of water vapour and nitrogen gas.

Ballance makes GoClear at its ammonia-urea plant at Kapuni, Taranaki, and growth in demand for the product continues to accelerate.

Process and chemicals manager Terry Smith says the company is alone in offering a “100 per cent made in New Zealand” solution to reduce emissions.

“Using urea from the country’s only plant of its kind, GoClear is made using all New Zealand resources and labour, which means all of the benefits remain here.

“Together with our partner Orica, we distribute and market the product in bulk, which is both cost effective and economically sensible.”

As demand increases around the country, Ballance has forged distribution

partnerships to make the product easily accessible.

“The rapid growth in SCR truck numbers has seen a growing need for bulk installations,” says Dr Smith.

“We’ve been supplying GoClear since 2010 and it has been distributed in 1000-litre tanks and in bulk to transport operators. However, the general public have not been able to purchase in bulk.”

In a New Zealand first, GoClear is now available to the public at McKeown Petroleum’s Gore and Oamaru fuel stops, and Z Sanson (as Z-DEC), and is coming soon to Z Mount Wellington and Caltex Bombay Hills.

Further expansion of the network is underway with other major New Zealand fuel distributors.

Dr Smith says a growing number of the national truck fleet is using SCR technology and New Zealand-based supply is important in minimising supply risk and delivery time for this product, which is now critical to our transport infrastructure.

“Dependency on overseas manufacture of a similar product is a risk we can’t afford. Local manufacture and safe, efficient and economic distribution is the only logical way to provide the solution.”

Ballance continues to clear the air

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Good things take time,” was the key message national winners of the 2012 Ballance Farm Environment Awards, Blair and Jane Smith, have for some of the nation’s leading politicians. The North Otago couple addressed the Primary Production Select Committee in their role as ambassadors for good environmental practice.

The address to the multi-party parliamentary committee was part of a six-day tour organised by the New Zealand Farm Environment Trust.

“We were able to tell our own humble story,” Jane says. “And we also talked about the positive and proactive things that are happening in the wider farming community to improve environmental sustainability.

“A key message we wanted to get across to the committee is that good things take

time.” Blair says projects that enhance environmental sustainability could take years, and often involved considerable investments in terms of time, labour and money.

“It’s long-term work, and farmers need to be given time to do it properly. They want to be encouraged rather than regulated,” he says.

He says the Ballance Farm Environment Awards are important because they showcase the good work of farmers to the wider community, while also providing mentoring guidance.

During their tour, the Smiths met a range of agribusiness and industry leaders, and representatives from various regulatory bodies.

The trip enabled them to give a personal perspective of some of the issues and opportunities facing farmers.

They are grateful for the opportunity to sit down with such people and discuss some of the challenges confronting New Zealand agriculture, one of the biggest being how to get more young people into the industry.

“It’s helped us that we’ve always surrounded ourselves with good farming mentors,” Jane says.

“We like to see ourselves as mentors as well. But we do worry about where the farmers and agribusiness professionals of the future are going to come from.”

They are heartened, however, by the efforts being made by industry organisations such as Beef+Lamb New Zealand and DairyNZ to encourage young people, especially those from urban backgrounds, to consider agriculture as a career.

Jane says scholarship programmes are

also assisting people to study agriculture at tertiary level and become the agricultural scientists of the future.

The couple are also impressed by the ideas that are coming out of the industry groups and agribusinesses they visited.

“It made us realise that many rural organisations are willing to share information for the benefit of the industry,” Blair says.

Next year the couple will travel overseas to represent New Zealand as ambassadors for agriculture and environmental sustainability. Jane says learning more about emerging markets for New Zealand produce would be a key focus.

Organised by the New Zealand Farm Environment Trust, the trip will be supported by industry groups.

- APN News & Media

Sustainability winners share tips for success

Photo sUPPlIeD

NETWORKING: Massey University professor Mike Hedley, Blair and Jane Smith, and Massey University farm manager Byron Taylor at the No.4 Dairy Farm.

farming 2013 publication 16

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