9 minute read
Mopping up nitrogen
News Catch crops reduce nitrate leaching
Annette Scott annette.scott@globalhq.co.nz
CATCH crops are proving their worth as a management tool to reduce nitrate leaching.
Plant & Food Research, Lincoln Agritech and AgResearch scientists shared the findings of a catch crop used for a cleaner freshwater research project at a workshop in Darfield.
Discussion included current results, issues and benefits around the establishment of catch crops, including crop type, cultivation and soil management methods.
In opening the workshop, Plant & Food Research scientist Brendon Malcolm encouraged farmers to “get ahead of the curve” and put some catch crops in.
“It’s about being the ambulance at the top of the hill,” Malcolm said.
A catch crop is any crop that is sown with the primary objective of utilising excess nitrogen in soils that otherwise may be lost to the environment through leaching.
Trials completed in Canterbury, Waikato and Southland have found cereals were more effective than grass species following winter grazing.
The earlier the crop is planted, the greater the opportunity to reduce leaching, with catch crops also able to increase the total annual yield of a paddock.
The three-year Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) Sustainable Farming Fund (SFF) project contract is widely supported by industries looking to reduce environmental impacts from winter forage crop grazing.
Malcolm says the main driver of the catch crop research is mopping up nitrogen.
One Canterbury trial of kale grazed over winter, then sown in oats late-July, captured 65 kilograms of nitrogen.
“The oat crop is taking up more nitrogen than it requires, so the result is a luxury uptake – high nitrogen percentage,” he said.
“It is a tool not a silver bullet and there is no one size fits all.”
Key agronomic recommendations are to sow the catch crop as soon as possible after grazing, select winter active species such as oats, target minimum or no tillage and targeting high plant populations, ideally 110-120kg of seed per hectare for oats, using certified high vigour seed.
Aim for good soil-to-seed contact, this may require some surface tillage, minimum weed competition and applying nitrogen fertiliser in October if required, then harvest at greenchop silage for maximum yield and quality.
Trial results to date show cereals perform better than ryegrass and Italian grass that struggle in the colder temperatures.
An oat-Italian mix is a popular choice, but dry matter yield performance lagged a straight oat crop in both Canterbury and Southland trials.
“More seed (means) more cost, but (also) more crop – it is really important to target high plant populations,” Plant & Food Research science team leader for field operations Shane Maley said.
“It’s all about sourcing appropriate seed and getting enough seed in the ground to get a result; lower plant population resulted in 30-40% less nitrogen update.
“I can’t stress enough the need to get really good seed for high vigour at this time of the year as you want to catch crops off by mid-November at the very latest, or it becomes too hard to look at the next crop.
“Catch crops are low input, there’s no need to put nitrogen on at planting at all.
“Ideally 300 plants per square metre, and that smothers weeds out quite nicely too.”
Harvest at green-crop not only maximises yield and quality, but also opens other windows for follow-on plantings.
Catch crops do not work with fodder beet rotation.
While trials have been conducted on the West Coast, in Canterbury and Southland this year, with some work also being done in Hawke’s Bay, the trial work is not yet programmed into Overseer.
“But we do expect it will improve the number,” he said.
“We are working with Overseer now and applying to MPI to get some more funding to get into Overseer.”
FIELDWORK: AgResearch research associate Anna Taylor and Plant & Food Research science team leader for field operations Shane Maley take soil samples in an oat catch crop. PLAN Plant & Food Research scientist Brendon Malcolm says catch crops are a way to get ahead of the curve.
Brendon Malcolm Plant & Food Research
Course to tackle farm risk management
THE Agri-Women’s Development Trust (AWDT) will design and deliver a Ministry for Primary Industries-funded programme to help lift farmers’ risk management skills, in the hope of preventing business failure.
It will be piloted in six locations from next month.
The trust has been given $331,000 to research, design and deliver the course.
“The primary sector is the backbone of our economy and it’s vital we ensure farmers and growers are equipped to withstand challenges facing the sector,” MPI director of rural communities and farming support Nick Story said.
“This course will give them the skills, tools and confidence to help make their agribusinesses more financially resilient.
“Farmers and growers can’t control the weather, commodity prices or shifts in consumers’ shopping habits, but they can plan and prepare for change.”
Up to 130 people are expected to take part in the course.
AWDT general manager Lisa Sims says it will be piloted with sheep, beef, dairy, arable, and horticulture businesses in the Hawke’s Bay, Manawatū, Canterbury, Otago and Southland.
“The aim of the course is to empower farmers and growers to understand the different types of risks facing their business, and give them the skills to develop plans to manage the financial and personal implications of those risks,” Sims said.
Funding for the programme is part of a $1.15 million commitment in the 2020-21 financial year to reduce the risk of primary producers getting into financial strife.
MPI has earmarked $500,000 a year for three years to help enhance financial literacy and risk management skills, and a further $100,000 has also been allocated to the Farm Business Advice Support Fund to provide farmers with independent advice to help tackle farm debt.
“This fund is managed by the Rural Support Trust national council and has already been accessed by more than 40 businesses. It’s believed the support has prevented farmers from defaulting on loans and requiring the services of the Farm Debt Mediation Scheme,” Story said.
The Farm Debt Mediation Scheme was launched in July and has an annual budget of $550,000 to help farmers and growers work through debt issues with their lenders.
“There have been 42 requests for mediation services through the scheme. Importantly, it has encouraged lenders to engage in conversations with at-risk clients earlier, avoiding the need for mediation,” he said.
Farmers and growers can request mediation at any time and hardship funding is available through MPI.
Where and when
Pilot group
Farming women Farming partnerships (women and men) Farming women Farming partnerships (women and men) Pan-sector partnerships (women and men) Pan-sector partnerships (women and men)
Sector Start date Location
Sheep, beef, dairy 30/6/2021 Winton Sheep, beef, dairy 1/7/2021 Balclutha
Sheep, beef, dairy 7/7/2021 Ashburton Sheep, beef, dairy 8/7/2021 Amberley
EMPOWERED: AgriWomens’ Development Trust general manager Lisa Sims says the course will give farmers the skills to develop plans to manage financial risk.
News Analysts weigh milk price prospects
LOOKING GOOD: Westpac senior agri-economist Nathan Penny expects Fonterra to open the new season with a mid-point forecast between $7-7.60.
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LEWIS TUCKER & CO ENTERPRISE
Hugh Stringleman hugh.stringleman@globalhq.co.nz
GLOBAL Dairy Trade (GDT) prices were mostly unchanged in the second May fortnightly auction, the last before the end of the 2021 New Zealand dairy season.
The commodity price results were good prospects for an opening farm gate milk price for the new season in the mid-$7/kg milksolids range, analysts say.
The NZX dairy derivatives market for milk price futures is anticipating $7.84 for next season, higher than the current contract traded price for this season of $7.73.
However, the futures market also expected commodity prices to increase in recent GDT events, something that has failed to come true.
For the past two months (four auctions) the GDT index movements have been, in order, plus 0.3%, minus 0.1%, minus 0.7% and minus 0.2%.
Notwithstanding a 0.2% fall in the latest auction, whole milk powder (WMP) prices have stayed above US$4000 per tonne, the major determinant of a milk price over $7.
Skim milk powder (SMP) rose 0.7% and now sits at $3447, having gained steadily since February and during most of the past 12 months, during which it has risen 35%
Westpac’s senior agri-economist Nathan Penny says strong prices over recent auctions should cause Fonterra to lift and tighten its milk price forecast for the current season closer to $7.90.
He believed it would open the new season with a mid-point forecast between $7 and $7.60.
If the mid-point is $7.25, then he expected Fonterra to quote a range of $6.75 to $7.75, to reduce the risk of having to lower its forecast later in the season.
Penny says the sideways trend of the past few auctions meant that commodity prices remained at very healthy levels; for example, WMP up 54% over the past 12 months.
NZX dairy analyst Stu Davison also says the sideways trend was evidence of a market with robust demand.
“Buyers are happy to pay more than $4000 for WMP and there seems to be no stopping that demand at this point in time,” Davison said.
“The price point has been thoroughly tested by Fonterra putting added volumes on the GDT platform, with the consensus that demand is still firm.”
Jarden head of derivatives Mike McIntyre says the futures market had expected increases in the GDT prices in recent auctions, only to be proved wrong.
“Those buying on the physical market are not necessarily participating in futures,” McIntyre said.
“GDT is a much bigger market and there isn’t a perfect tie-up with the derivatives market.”
He says the end of the NZ dairy season for milk production was much stronger this year compared with two previous years.
“So seeing prices up at these levels without supply constraints, sets us up nicely for the new season,” he said.
Chinese participation in the milk powders markets had continued right through into our autumn, which meant bigger consumption in China and a strong support under GDT prices.
BNZ senior economist Doug Steel has forecast the 2022 milk price at $7.80, adding that Fonterra could open with a prediction higher than $7, which would be a record opening price.
