FOR a new company to establish itself in the Queensland sugar industry as a supplier of fertiliser, it would need to offer something impressively different and that is what Synergy Fertiliser is promising.
Townsville-based director John Campbell said the company had three unique products to improve yields:
- Activated phosphate - with more plant available P than superphosphate. It is able to detoxify 90-99 percent of the heavy metals in the soil which tie up other nutrients;
- A humic acid product that is an organic carbon source which lifts soil carbon levels; and
- Activated silica - with ten times the monosilicic acid (plant available silica) level of the un-activated product.
Silica is required by the plant in similar amounts to N, P and K and has been called the forgotten major element as it was assumed most soils contained enough of it. Silica is used by the plant to make cell walls.
From soil tests carried out along the sugar belt by Synergy Fertiliser's R&D researcher, Dr Vladimir Matichenkov, found that although the soils generally contain silica, in most cases it is unavailable to the plants. This results in the plants being extremely silica deficient.
Research in the US showed sugarcane removes more silica from the soil than any other crop with 500kg to 700kg/hectare being lost a year through leaching, farming practices and in the cane leaving the property.
Silica deficiency inevitably results in:
- Lower yields;
- Lower income;
- Higher input costs;
- Poor soil fertility and structure;
- Poor plant health and strength; and
- Susceptibility to disease.
Research conducted in Florida showed applying silica increased sugarcane yields by 30-70pc, sugar content by up to 58pc while fertiliser rates could be halved in some cases.
Silica also enhances the efficiency of chemical fertilisers by transforming plant-unavailable nutrients into an available form, holding them in a plant-available form and preventing nutrient lock up and leaching.
Silica is also extremely effective in controlling the pH of soils. Whereas lime has only a single mechanism for controlling pH, research indicates silica has five and is more effective. Unlike lime, silica does not make phosphate unavailable to plants. The increased strength of cell walls when they have adequate silica levels makes it difficult for fungus spores to penetrate and also makes it difficult for chewing insects to attack.
For instance, at Mossman in the late 1990s CSIRO discovered cane grubs wore out their chewing mechanisms and starved to death when chewing the roots of cane with adequate silica levels.
Various micronutrients exist naturally in silica including: magnesium, zinc, manganese, iron, copper, sulphur, molybdenum, cobalt and calcium.
Research in Florida has also shown that silica's ability to retain and transport water within the plant can reduce irrigation needs by up to 30pc.
High quality silica has a residual effect and depending on soil conditions prior to first application, its subsequent application rate can almost always be reduced and may even be unnecessary for up to three years.
Dr Matichenkov when working at the University of Florida developed the first soil test in the world to identify plant available silica. He has found Queensland cane soils were deficient and correcting the imbalance could lift cane yields.
The only trial so far completed in Queensland was located at Abergowrie, west of Ingham, where in 2008 half a plant cane block was treated with natural silica. In February and March 2009 the cane was badly set back by the floods. At harvest late last year the untreated section yielded 43t/cane/ha and the silica section 71t/c/ha an increase of almost 70pc.
Currently a number of trials are under way in the Burdekin.
To give you the knowledge to decide whether to use activated silica to make it easy to meet the Reef Protection legislation requirements, Synergy Fertiliser is holding a series of free seminars called "Six Easier Steps to Sustainable Farming" which will be held at:
- Mareeba RSL Hall March 2;
- Mossman Bowls Club March 4;
- Tully Bowls Club March 5;
- Ayr Showground Hall March 9;
- The Royal Hotel, Ingham March 12; and
- Mackay at a date yet to be set.
All seminars begin at 9am.
Lunch, morning and afternoon tea will cost $20 but for catering purposes bookings should be made ASAP by phoning (07) 4783 7000.
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