WHAT HAS GONE WRONG WITH OUR SOILS? From one side of Australia to the other, farmers are asking the same question. The cost of making the soils produce are going up and the output is going down. In the South Gippsland area at Poowong in 1890, settlers were producing regularly, 20 tons of potatoes to the acre, (50 tonnes per hectare) with artichokes and beans between the rows. Their neighbours were producing 20 tons of onions per acre. This was done before chemical fertilisers were known, before certified seed and before chemical sprays to stop diseases. Potatoes cropping farmers now expect an average of 12 to 14 tons per acre on dry land cropping. Why, in spite of all our modern aids, are we going backwards? The secret lies in the composition of the soil. After many years of intensive farming, the organic carbon in the soil is almost depleted. This is giving us tight soils that repel the rain, lock up the nutriments and have virtually no microbes, bacteria or fungi in their makeup. In other words our soils are no longer alive and our plants are growing on top of the soil, utilizing the chemical inputs that we increasingly throw at them and the whole process is turning the soil more acid, less productive and more vulnerable to climate changes, and eventually to an unsustainable situation. This is also leading to erosion, plugging, salinity and loss of ground cover. The question is “what can we do to reverse the trend”? If we look at the soil as the main building block on the land, (everything that we grow or produce starts there), we need to return it to the natural condition it was in before European settlement and agriculture affected it. Over the years we have been depleting the organic carbon, the base building block of our soils, alkaline or acid, which in turn has affected the soil life, the worms, microbes and fungi. They require the organic carbon for sustenance and to remake it into nutrients and minerals that in turn feed the plants. The better the condition of the soil, the deeper the plant roots grow, and the more nutrients that are available. This also assists in draining the soil in wet weather and retaining the soil moisture in the dry months. A healthy soil also leads to healthy plants. The problem needs to be tackled on several fronts. The trend for bigger machinery, tractors, trucks, and feed out carts all tend to pack the soil they drive over. By reducing the use of these heavy implements where ever possible, will help, as will confining them to set areas such as farm transit lanes and taking a different route across a paddock each time. This will reduce some of the damage. Most of our soils are very acid and getting more so all the time. Aluminum is the main culprit in acid soil and it is often not regarded strongly enough. We know from department of Agriculture experiments, that if we spread superphosphate on our soil, the aluminum will lockup 50% of it, and that is no longer available to the plants. Properties that have a good history of superphosphate applications will have a large bank of super available in the soil profile if we could just unlock it. This is where Humus plus4 can come in. The chemical structure is such that it will lock up the aluminum and unlock super and other elements, which will then be available to the plants. On our property we have not used super for eleven years and have had no adverse reaction. Eventually, we will deplete the bank and need to put more phosphorus on, but we have had ten years of saving a lot of money. This possibly applies to other elements too. Even if we halved the amount of super used, it would be a big cost saving and a big help to the environment. As most farms have been growing in the top 80mm of soil, because that is where we have been feeding our plants, our production is getting less and less. Once the soil is flocculated (not ploughed) the plants will reach into this bank of elements and we will have better crops and healthier animals. Couple this with better moisture holding capacity and you will have a longer growing season with better long term results. A healthy soil will be able to deal with diseases, salinity and pasture pests in a natural way that gives resistance to paddock pests. Most pests prefer to attack unhealthy plants that have no natural resistance. Humusplus is an organic certified product, but is used extensively by commercial farmers in most farming conditions. It is dark brown to black in colour and can be dusty in the summer time. It can be stored out in the open, as rain forms a crust on the surface of the heap and this sheds the rain off it. That also stops the wind from blowing it around. This product is a large part of the answer to the soil loss in the Mallee region and compacted soils in the southern regions. It will increase the profit and yield in the cropping areas, give better tasting and production in the horticulture industry and livestock are healthier and produce better on Humus plus4 pastures. Cattle are also much quieter because they are getting more trace elements, particularly magnesium, which governs the animal nervous system. Remember, this product is not an addition to your usual fertilizer program. It can replace that regime in the short term. This can be a large cost saving over a few years and benefit your sustainability and future health and profits. The main advantage of Humus Plus: Increase crop productions and pasture response Mixes with other products organic and chemical Retains moisture for longer periods Increases organic carbon levels Increases nutrient availability at root level Assists in P.H. control Improves seed germination in low rainfall regions Non toxic Environmentally friendly No odours Reduces costs and lifts profits Q. Cost wise, how does Humus+ compare with superphosphate? H+ is only a small fraction of the cost per tonne of superphosphate and delivers the same benefits initially. It also makes many more elements available to the plants. It helps the soil retain higher levels of moisture and provides the bacteria and microbes, which provide the nutriments to the plants. All this means serious financial savings to your pocket and long term sustainability for your farm. Q. Can I mix this product with other products? Yes. It is compatible with other types of fertilizer and actually assists them to work better. It can be mixed with the seed to improve germination rates. Q. What sort of spreader do I need? Any belt spreader is ideal and it will go through a chain type spreader. It does tend to bridge in cone type spreaders, but some makes can handle the product. Humus plus 4 is spread at the same rates as superphosphate applications. Q. Will I have to move my animals out of the paddock when I put Humus+ on? No. Humus +4 is a totally natural organic product and cannot burn or adversely affect animals or the environment. Animals actually like to lick, eat and play on the heaps. Q. Must I work it into the soil to get results? Working it into the soil can bring quicker results, but spreading it on the surface will still bring good results in a short time. Q. How often should I apply this product? It can be used annually or as required in a crop situation. Application at any time of the year is safe and most soils will take as much as you can afford initially. A normal pasture application is 500 kg per hectare annually. Q. Do I need to store it in a shed, or cover the heap? It can be stored out in the open for long periods with out any bad effects. The first rain forms a crust on the surface of the heap which protects it. The product does not go hard or gluggy when wet. It still spreads easily.
Posted on: Mon, 17 Nov 2014 07:27:02 +0000
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