KEY POINTS:
Now this may sound like teaching grandmothers to suck eggs - whatever that means exactly - but compost it appears is good for growing plants.
Compost is getting a new look in from commercial horticulturists and farmers and is providing a significant boost to ryegrass and kale crops, with trials by Crop & Food Research exceeding all expectations.
Transpacific Industries Group runs a Timaru-based composting operation under contract using organic waste collected from green-lidded domestic wheelie bins, transfer stations and general garden waste.
The company currently supplies 4000 tonnes of compost a year, predominantly for household use, but had not yet moved into bulk supply while the trial is being completed.
Transpacific southern regional manager Ray Harris says farmers are developing a better understanding of the subtleties of the soil environment and the environmental benefits of using compost.
"The cost of commercial fertilisers means farmers are looking at other options for providing nutrients to their pasture and crops and have found that compost is becoming a viable and attractive option," Harris says.
Brian Gallagher, Timaru District Council solid waste manager says: "Composting not only makes good economic sense, but it is also better for the environment. We are committed to ensuring that the value of organic material is realised instead of being a waste."
Gareth James from Transpacific says there are huge differences in growth rates between compost and non-compost areas.
"The technology that's involved in turning bulk garden waste into compost is reasonably high tech and has to be done properly," James says.
Removing items like plastic and glass from the waste is a challenge, while process conditions are constantly monitored, including moisture, temperature and oxygen levels.
The company can collect between 16,000 tonnes and 20,000 tonnes of green waste each year and exactly how much compost this makes depends on how fine they make the final product.
"So we're trying to find what does the market actually want and what is the best use of the sort of material that we're receiving from all the households," James says.
Final results from the trial are due to be published in October, and the production process could be replicated in other parts of the country.
"Yes, I suppose the challenge for us might be whether we can produce enough to meet whatever the demand might be if it's that good."
With words like environment, sustainable, production and future increasingly cropping up, no pun intended, in the same sentence using compost made from household garden waste for commercial farming ticks all the right boxes. Granny would approve.
WORD IN UREA
Whatever next, some company coming up with a product that achieves nearly the same pasture growth with half the urea.
Christchurch-based rural supply company Donaghys last week launched a product it says can achieve nearly the same pasture growth with half the urea.
Managing director Jeremy Silva says the company's microbial-based product, called LessN System, is a nitrogen-enhancer which improves the uptake ability of clover-based pastures.
So far 21 trials have been conducted on a mixture of dry and irrigated land.
The trials show the product, with a spray application of 3 litres of the product with 40kg of urea per hectare, provides 97 per cent of the pasture response compared with 80kg of urea alone in clover-based pasture, Silva says.
The product is based on fungus and bacteria, plus alcohols and other substances - with a foundation on the rapid expansion of microbes.
"So it's quite a complex brew," Silva says.
"What it means for the farmer is that they can effectively halve the amount of urea which saves them money and it's great for the environment."
The LessN System product provides an average nitrogen response of nearly 30kg of dry matter pasture growth for each kilogram of nitrogen when sprayed on, compared with 16kg for urea alone, Silva says.
The national published average for the traditional method of applying nitrogen fertiliser through urea which is spread on is between 10kg and 12kg, he says. Discovered almost by accident was the fact that spraying on urea appeared to be more effective than spreading.
"It appears to be a major shift that is required in the way we use nitrogen fertiliser today."
On an average dairy farm of 120ha the product can reduce costs by about $1500 per application, with between six or seven application a year, he says.
"This is, we believe, the only nitrogen enhancer on the market," Silva says. "We believe we have a scientific breakthrough internationally."
Trials are ongoing with the company still to prove that the product will work over repeated applications, although early trial results are looking positive, he says.
CLIMATE CHANGE
More than $5 million will be allocated to fund the first group of research proposals through the Plan of Action for Sustainable Land Management and Climate Change.
Agriculture Minister Jim Anderton says the proposals focus on research to help land-based sectors reduce their impact on climate change and also develop the capability and resilience of agriculture and forestry to adapt to a changing climate.
"A range of innovative new ideas on mitigation technologies are to be funded in the research proposals," Anderton says. Developing capability and infrastructure in agriculture, forestry and horticulture is the aim of other proposals.
"They will equip the sectors with a range of measurement, monitoring and assessment tools to assist them in managing greenhouse gas emissions."
More than 80 proposals were received, with 45 bids from 25 organisations proving successful.
MILK DEER?
Research into the growth of young deer at Lincoln University shows the calf's genes for growth may be more important than mother's genes for producing milk.
Plus milking deers turns out to be easier than first thought.
Dr Graham Barrell led researchers from the Agriculture and Life Sciences Division at the university on a trial which involved machine milking 20 deer twice each day.
The findings have been a bit of a surprise.
"We thought that if a hind produced more milk, surely her calf will grow a bit faster and we were surprised to find that there was no effect on the calves," Barrell says.
"They all grew at their own predetermined, if you like, growth rate regardless of what the mother could have done."
The study could have implications for how the industry selects animals for breeding.
"If the industry thought it would be worthwhile measuring milk production of hinds and use that for selection the evidence we've got so far would say no that probably isn't that fruitful but we've got a bit more to go in terms of being absolutely definite about these findings."
The work is part of a series of studies on the biology of lactating deer.
Barrell was also quite surprised how easy it was to milk deer.
"Who knows what the future holds [if] there was perhaps a niche demand or something for deer milk what we've shown here is that well certainly it's feasible to have a commercial type machine milking of deer."
The hinds produced about 700ml a day, increasing to about 900ml each day by the end of the three weeks of milking.
QUIZ TIME
Animal and farm improvement company LIC has put together a list of definitions for industry acronyms to help make life a little easier in an ever more jargoned world.
Here are some examples (PS, LIC didn't come up with the silly bits).
Grass staggers - the drunken walk home across the paddock after an end of season drink down the local tavern but according to LIC also a condition caused by a lack of magnesium, usually occurring in the spring.
Sambar - A quick moonlight jig while undertaking a grass staggers but also it turns out to be a breed of feral deer.
AB Mating - not a description for the private lives of national rugby players but rather the artificial insemination carried out as part of an artificial breeding programme.
MOET - The end of week tipple favoured by discerning farm hands perhaps or maybe multiple ovulation and embryo transfer.
Beefy - Not ex-England cricketer Sir Ian "Beefy" Botham but a calf or cow reared for home kill.
CIDR - Famous countryside drink made from apples and also a controlled internal drug release. Sounds like the same thing.
