Independent Whanganui fertiliser broker Robin Casey may have stumbled over the cause of failure in bulb crops in the region.
Casey said farmers in the Whanganui, Rangitikei and particularly Manawatu had experienced massive failure in fodder swede and turnip crops and he believes he has found the possible answer almost by default.
"Most bulb crops, especially fodder, have a huge thirst for boron and I knew this when I set out to grow a high-yielding, high-quality crop for a client," Casey said.
"For the past six years the client and I had been monitoring particular paddocks in pasture, but last year he decided to put in a crop of fodder.
We split the area in two and he followed recommended instructions, while I asked if I could add to extra elements on the paddock I was monitoring. He agreed.