Better Fertilizer Decisions Project Launched
Media Release: From the Department of Primary Industries
Thursday, 9 October 2003
Fertile Brains Produce Nutrient Solutions
The ‘who’s who’ of scientists from state agricultural agencies across Australia have joined forces with major fertiliser companies, universities, and industry groups to produce improved fertiliser and nutrient management solutions for the nation’s grazing industry farmers. The new project, Making Better Fertiliser Decisions for Grazed Pastures in Australia aims to help farmers strike the right balance between effective pasture utilisation and minimising impact on our environment.
Science Leader, Dr Cameron Gourley, from the Victorian Department of Primary Industries, Ellinbank says that there is constant pressure to increase the efficiency and productivity of the Australian grazing industry. At the same time, many farmers face mounting scrutiny of the impact of grazing systems on the environment.
Dr Gourley believes that current fertiliser management strategies for optimising productive and sustainable grazing are suffering from a general lack of consistency across Australian farming systems.
“These days, farmers face the dual responsibility of juggling productivity and sustainability, but to achieve these expectations they need constructive help on how to use more refined nutrient management systems,” says Dr Gourley.
In the past, Dr Gourley said an average farmer might have followed a neighbour’s lead, talked to a fertiliser company ‘rep’ or government adviser, and then maybe discussed it with a local farmer network. These are all generally good sources of information he says – however, the benefit of this new national project will be to advance the quality and consistency of that advice.
“Our project will show Australian farmers how to reduce nutrient losses to the environment and capitalise on their pasture production,” said Dr Gourley. “When they go through their fertiliser decision making processes, farmers will be shown all the ‘what, when and where’ to spread.”
Although considerable research into best nutrient management has already been carried out, getting all of this material together is long overdue. A network of Australian scientists and fertiliser company agronomists will be putting their heads together on this project over the next three years says Dr Gourley.
The project will collate all of the existing information about fertiliser responses and develop a pasture response database. It will also develop environmental risk assessment tools. Through these tools, all of the information that a farmer and fertiliser adviser needs will be accessible. Fertiliser recommendations can then be tailored to the region and soil types using the best possible information.
A key component of the project will be the development of an interactive database, developed by Professor Jim Scott and his team from the University of New England.
According to Professor Scott, “The project will develop standard and regionally specific soil test-pasture response functions for phosphorus, potassium and sulphur fertilisers, and pasture response functions for nitrogen fertiliser using existing data - it will also provide animal production responses where possible.”
The project will develop a framework for the consistent interpretation of soil tests from both productivity and an environmental perspective. An education package will also be delivered regionally and this will provide consistent and reliable information relating to better fertiliser decisions.
So what will be the benefits? Dr Gourley believes farmers will be more confident they are doing the right thing when using these best management practices in their fertiliser applications.
Australian farmers will be able to efficiently produce more pasture without wasting fertiliser nutrients – a win win solution for both farmers and the environment. The ongoing benefit will be less nutrient imbalance in soils and a reduction in nutrient losses from pastoral land to ground water, waterways and the atmosphere.
The Making Better Fertiliser Decisions for Grazed Pastures in Australia project has widespread national support from:
Dairy Australia
Meat and Livestock Australia
Land and Water Australia
Fertiliser Industry Federation of Australia
Incitec-Pivot
CSBP
Hifert
Canpotex-Agrow
DPI Victoria
Agriculture WA
SARDI
NSW Agriculture
DPI Qld
DNRM Qld
TIAR
EPA Victoria.
Media Contact:
Sue Keirnan,
Communications Officer, DPI Ellinbank
Tel: 03 5624 2222 – Email: sue.keirnan@dpi.vic.gov.au
Pictures:
 Cameron Gourley.jpg
Beef Cattle.jpg
Dairy cattle.jpg
Sheep.jpg
|
Cameron Gourley.jpg
Beef Cattle.jpg
Dairy cattle.jpg
Sheep.jpg