ANIMAL MANAGEMENT
An answer to fertiliser restrictions In 2020, the New Zealand Government announced its essential freshwater regulatory requirements, which include a cap on the application of synthetic nitrogen (N) fertiliser to pastoral land.
universities and organisations on
dissolved urea in a mixing station, or
N-Boost since 2008. The scientific
agitating in a spray tank.
pasture trials have been peer reviewed
By applying N this way we improve the
in New Zealand and internationally, the
efficiency of uptake, because it is in the
Under this new legislation all pastoral
Using results from these trials,
farmers will need to keep synthetic
Donaghys has compared what could
nitrogen fertiliser use below
happen on an average Canterbury
190kg N/ha/year from 1st July, 2021.
dairy farm, where operators have been
Meeting new synthetic fertiliser
applying 240kg N/ha/year, under pre N
cap regulations and minimising
cap regulations
environmental impacts, while
(see www.n-boost.com for details):
maintaining profitability — will be
• If the farm simply reduced its
results of which have been published in the Journal of Plant Nutrition.
challenging for many farmers. But
N application to fall under the
by changing one farming practice,
cap, we would see a reduction
Donaghys N-Boost can help farmers
in profit of around $48,000.
work within the new regulations, whilst
• If the same farm adopted the
plant-available form of ammonium. Studies show that the majority of N can be taken up into the leaf within the first 12 hours after application. Lincoln University found that N-Boost stimulates the plants mitochondria and chloroplasts, which are key for the plants energy storage and production. The reduction in nitrogen could also decrease nitrous oxide emissions, as well as increase clover levels in pasture, which can also lead to potential increases in atmospheric nitrogen-fixation. The N-Boost system can be
continuing to grow the same amount of
N-Boost system completely and
dry matter and without compromising
roughly halved their urea use, they
self-applied or applied by a contractor
pasture quality.
would meet the new standards
and incorporated with existing
The N-Boost system has been shown
and reduce N leaching by up to
spray applications — allowing
to double the nitrogen response of
15 percent, while increasing their
multiple product applications at
pasture and maintain the metabolisable
annual profit by $33,000.
once, saving time and money.
energy and other feed quality
A farm doesn’t have to adapt to the
Whether its partial or full use, the benefits
indicators, while reducing nitrogen use,
system completely to take advantage of
can be felt throughout the farm business
when compared with applying 40kg of
the benefits though. If the farm spreads
and decreasing environmental impact.
urea alone.
urea at 135kg N/ha/year, and then uses
With these results, farmers would be
the N-Boost System for 55kg N/ha/
able to maintain their stock units and
year, the profit increases by $18,500.
production under the new regulations.
The N-Boost system can be sprayed
There have been 370 pasture and crop
onto pasture with a conventional boom
trials conducted by 53 independent
sprayer or boom jet after mixing it with
WWW.FARMLANDS.CO.NZ
Farmlands Co-operative Society Limited | © April 2021. All rights reserved.
For further information, contact your Farmlands Technical Field Officer or the friendly team at your local Farmlands store. Article supplied by Donaghys
THE FARMLANDER | 43
