Business Rural Winter 2021

74 | Improving soil, plant health with EM Kim Newth RURAL SERVICES » Effective Microorganisms F ounded in New Zealand in 2001 by scien- tist Mike Daly, EMNZ is a biotech company focussed on developing sustainable microbial inoculant products for our primary sector. By stimu- lating biological activity in the soil and plant, EM (Ef- fective Microorganisms) improves crop and pasture yields and enhances fertiliser performance. With regenerative farming growing as a move- ment, EM products are increasingly sought after as a natural tool for soil enhancement in agriculture. These products include: • EM1 Concentrate – can be activated and ex- panded on farm and is a super economical choice; • EM Environment – activated, ready to use for composting, improving effluent and using in septic tanks; • EM Soil and Crop – activated, ready to use for soil improvement, crop growth and organic matter breakdown. New products are developed to meet market need, with one of the latest releases being EM Ful- vic, a fulvic acid based product designed to mobilise nutrients and offers a host of benefits for both the soil and the plant. “We are seeing strong growth for our products – EMNZ has grown five-fold over the past four years and we’ve moved to a much larger factory in Christchurch too,” says EMNZ’s Business Director, Paul Daly, who joined his father in the business eight years ago. He naturally gravitated to EM, having grown up around his father’s career in agricultural research which paved the way to his passion for EM as a vehicle for enhancing growth and improving soil health. Paul studied commerce at the University of Otago, with these skills now complementing his father’s research interests. “Dad looks after production and R&D and I look after distributors, often being out on farms educat- ing farmers about how our product is applied and how it works.” Paul frequently accompanies fertiliser sales reps and agronomists, with EM products sold through distributors from Bluff to Kaitaia. “We’re working predominantly with companies that have an eye on wanting to improve the envi- ronment and, from a growing perspective, wanting to help crops and plants perform well. EM works by stimulating natural processes and activating the soil to get the most out of it. “Our distributors are including EM as part of their product toolbox as they want farmers to have active beneficial microorganisms in their soil to help boost crop yield or get a better growth response from fertiliser inputs.” When Mike founded EMNZ 20 years ago, the idea of harnessing microbial activity to boost soil and plant health was still very much on the fringe, of interest only to organic farmers and some pioneers in the viticulture sector. “It was still somewhat the same when I first joined Dad in the business, but over the past five years we have seen a huge amount of interest in our products. Fertiliser companies we’re working with are taking a holistic approach and understand that by using products like ours farmers may not need to put as much fertiliser on. It’s about building trust with farmers and taking a long-term view.” EM products are a low cost input for farmers and, as Paul observes, that cost is invariably more than compensated by the gains of having healthy soil with improved water and nutrient holding capacity. Looking ahead, EMNZ aims to continue to grow sustainably and to help New Zealand’s primary improve soil health and performance. “We’re working predominantly with companies that have an eye on wanting to improve the environment and, from a growing perspective, wanting to help crops and plants perform well. EM works by stimulating natural processes and activating the soil to get the most out of it.” Email: admin@aakland.co.nz Website: www.aakland-chemicals.co.nz 88 Treffers Road, PO Box 323, Sockburn Free On-Farm Delivery Free On-Farm Service Top Soils specialises in fertility programmes to make a real, environmental, sustainable and economical difference to our farming clients. This is done by balancing soil nutrients using the Kinsey-Albrecht system of soil fertility and using a regenerative, biological approach to agriculture. Top Soils: for regenerative, biological, organic & traditional fertiliser approaches. Don Hart 027 432 0187 don@topsoils.co.nz Lydia-Beth Gundry 027 698 9907 lydia@topsoils.co.nz James McCann 027 381 8856 james@topsoils.co.nz EM products stimulate biological activity in the soil, resulting in better crop and pasture yields