10 | Good soil health can transform productivity Karen Phelps RURAL PEOPLE » Boom Farms HELPING YOU GROW 0800 40 10 40 • sales@rorisons.co.nz On the outskirts of Taumarunui, Robin Boom’s 56-hectare sheep and beef farm and smaller 4-hectare block near Whatawhata are a demonstration of how his focus on soil health can transform productivity. “Healthy soil, healthy grass, healthy stock and healthy humans is my motto,” he says. “When I bought the property the pH was 5.2-5.3. It should be around 6. You need one tonne per hectare of lime to raise it by 0.1 of a unit so my soil lifted from 5.3 to 5.8 pH when I flew five tonnes to the hectare on. When the soil isn’t so acidic it helps to get the biology of the soil working, the microorganisms and earthworms,” he explains. In addition to lime, Robin has applied two tonnes per hectare of non-acidic phosphate based fertiliser and trace elements to get them close to biological optimum. “Plants need 16 elements to grow and animals need 17 elements. Selenium and iodine are micronutrients animals need that plants don’t. Plants need molybdenum and animals don’t, but most of the other elements both plants and animals require with the exception of sodium, which only certain plants utilise,” he says. This has all helped increase the white clover in the pastures, something that is a focus for Robin: “The aim is to get the whole biological system working so clover is fixing nitrogen out of the atmosphere for free rather than applying synthetic nitrogen. That’s a cost saving and an environmental benefit. Building fertility and producing nitrogen biologically with clovers might cost 3-5 cents per kilo of dry matter, whereas putting on nitrogen is more like 15-20 cents per kilo.” On his own farm Robin says there has been a huge improvement in the amount of white clover in my pasture. “Another benefit from lime is that it reduces aluminium toxicity in pastures – something many hill country farms suffer from. A common observation is that lime makes animals eat the pastures more evenly, they find the pastures more palatable. And lambs will put on twice as much weight per kilogram of dry matter on white clover as they will on grass. Cows will also produce 20% more milk per kilogram of dry matter on white clover than grass. Livestock at my property now fatten faster and my stock agent often says that my lambs are the first and best lambs that go off in the district.” Robin’s farm is on steep hill country, which meant he had to get nutrients flown on. “That’s why a lot of hill country farms don’t apply lime - due to the high application cost. But it makes a significant difference and is worth the expense.” Other farmers can enjoy the same benefits on their properties. Robin’s business Agronomic Advisory Services provides independent soil fertility advice to around 350 farms across the greater Waikato, Bay of Plenty and King Country regions. He specialises in balancing minerals in the soil to optimise livestock health and performance Robin sends his soil samples to Brookside Laboratories in Ohio, which analyse 14 elements rather. He also acts as a kind of fertiliser broker for his clients sourcing the best products for each farm, including from well-known supplier Ballance Agri-Nutrients. Robin at the sheep yards. Togeth Creati Soil ballance.co.nz | 0800 222 090 We believe that a thriving agricultural community can only exist with the support of all who live and work in it. As a result, we are so proud to support Boom Farms. Proudly Supporting Boom Farms “In the last ten years there have been a number of private importing companies outside of the two main players. I look at different suppliers to get farmers the best deal. Sometimes there can be up to a 20% difference. It’s about getting farmers the best value for money.”
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