Palagonite is derived from devitrified basaltic volcanic glass and this basalt derived rock mineral dust that is a superior soil amendment blend additive.
The palagonite we use in our blends contains a wide spectrum of major and trace elements, in a plant available source.
“Palagonite on its own improves many soil characteristics and importantly offers an alternative to NPK fertilisers when blended with the appropriate compost or other ag minerals” states Guy Lewington MS Diamotite.
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Pacific Fertiliser has been out to take gypsum samples of the exploration area in the Culgoa area. The initial results are promising.
Gypsum available from a potential Culgoa gypsum mine would enable Pacific Fertiliser to sell back to Goondiwindi from the west of hebel and further to the north and south.
The target area captures a lot of the irrigated cotton growing country as well as dry land grain growers, that Pacific Fertiliser’s Brisbane plant is a little too far from.
The results from testing the Mulga Gypsum sampled within the exploration area will be compared with the recent eastern seaboard gypsum comparison undertaken by Pacific Fertiliser – see link.
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PacFert releases a new products brochure. The brochure contains a lot of the products we supply, however there are many more so please feel free to enquire if it is not on the website or in the brochure.
Please download a copy of the new brochure:
Recently in the Goondiwindi area in the Macintyre Valley, cotton roots depths were tested in various cotton fields using a capacitance probe.
It was found some crops were drawing water from 100cm, some 80cm and about 30% were only around 60cm deep late in the season.
The shallower roots depths could be caused from poor soil structure leading to a reduction in root penetration and lower water extraction. These fields with lower root depths were also showing issues with irrigation water, such as run off.
Dr Oliver Knox of from the University of New England, said there was a range of options growers could try to repair soil structure and restore rooting depth. Given the levels of soil compaction and sodicity, gypsum was an option but given the depth it might have to be dip ripped or applied yearly to achieve results over the long term injunction with applications of organics and crop rotation.
Source: The Land – Neil Lyon
Pacific Fertiliser releases a new Ag lime product for the Central & South West Regions in NSW.
The high analysis lime product specifically made for agricultural use. The sub 1mm sizing allows for better handling, increased spreading accuracy and minimal dust loss during application, without effecting solubility.
The general specifications of Pacific Fertiliser’s Ag Lime:
– Calcium Carbonate – CaCO3 – 96+%
– Total Calcium – Ca – 38+%
– Neutralising Value – NV – 98%
The product is supplied & delivered in bulk tippers and we can offer the customer a spread price. For smaller customers we can offer bulkbags of powder or prilled lime.
Aglime is used in agriculture as a soil conditioner due to its superior neutralising value and a rich source of calcium. It is typically used to reduce soil acidity and improve plant growth by helping to increase the availability of essential plant nutrients in the ground.
Putting the dollars into sodic soil management
Key Points of the GRDC article:
– Sodicity is the presence of too much sodium (Na) in the soil.
– Australia represents the majority of the world’s sodicity issues which can lead to a reduction in plant growth and grain yield as well as decreased soil structural ability.
– Soil amelioration of sodic soil with gypsum has increased crop yields of wheat, chickpeas, sorghum and canola.
– Opportunities exist for further research into the practical application of amelioration strategies such as gypsum and their potential cost/benefit to growers across a range of soils and environmental situations.
– Like most cropping issues, growers and agronomists need to complement their knowledge of the underlying bio-physical systems with careful observation to craft a solution that is appropriate for individual situations.
Future research into sodic soils in Australia’s northern cropping belt should aim to equip growers with the decision-making tools to implement feasible and cost effective management strategies. Dr Neal Menzies from the University of Queensland’s School of Agriculture and Food Sciences believes that while the adverse effects of sodicity on plant growth are well documented, important knowledge gaps still remain in scientists’ understanding of sodic soils.
Addressing advisors and growers at the recent Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) Grain Research Updates, Dr Menzies said these gaps centred on the practical application of amelioration strategies and the potential cost/benefit to growers across a range of soils and environmental situations. “We need to be better able to predict on which soils an economic benefit will be gained from the application of gypsum, including setting the appropriate rate of application, and frequency of repeat applications,” Dr Menzies said.
“We also need to develop strategies for the amelioration of sodic subsoils and improve our ability to predict when subsoil amelioration will be economically attractive. It is also important that we refine water and nutrient management approaches for sodic soils and better understand, and hence be able to optimize, alternative amelioration strategies such as organic matter management.”
Simply defined, sodicity is the presence of too much sodium (Na) in the soil. Australia represents the majority of the world’s sodicity issues which can lead to a reduction in plant growth and grain yield as well as decreased soil structural ability which underpins a range of physical problems within the soil.
Management usually relies on gypsum applications but devising a comprehensive and targeted management strategy can be difficult due to the vast differences between soils, such as in clay content, organic matter content and mineralogy, and the broad range of effects Na has on soils and plant growth.
At a mechanistic level, the adverse effects of sodicity on plant growth are well understood by the research and extension communities.
Unfortunately though, differences in soil and plant characteristics, climate and agronomy mean that this understanding cannot be directly converted to a simple set of fool-proof rules, according to Dr Menzies.
“Like most cropping problems, growers and agronomists need to complement their knowledge of the underlying bio-physical system with careful observation to craft a solution appropriate for their situation,” he said.
“The most commonly considered sodicity problem is decreased soil structural stability, and the resultant soil physical problems but we understand this problem, and have a number of amelioration strategies with which to address it.
“We less frequently consider how we should address the problem of sodicity resulting in excessively high pH (alkalinity) and although this problem is also well understood and amelioration strategies are available, in the Australian dry-land farming context their implementation is rarely economically attractive.”
Sodic soils have extremely poor physical characteristics which, in farming soils, generally lead to problems managing water and air regimes in the soil. The lack of soil structural stability results in dispersion of the surface during rainfall to form a seal. This seal limits infiltration and causes a greater proportion of rainfall to runoff, therefore reducing water availability for crops growing in the soil and increasing the risk of erosion. On drying, the seal hardens as a crust which can prevent emergence of germinating seeds resulting in poor crop establishment. In addition, sodic soils are difficult to cultivate and have poor load-bearing characteristics due to the influence of Na on the clay fraction in the soil.
“It is always important to remember that sodicity is a problem that impacts on the clay fraction of the soil,” Dr Menzies said. “In a sand with little clay fraction, sodicity will not result in adverse physical conditions although there may still be adverse chemical effects.”
At a mechanistic level, two processes – swelling and dispersion – are responsible for the behaviour of sodic soils with these two processes governed by the soil surface charge and how it is balanced by exchangeable cations.
“Clay surfaces in most surface soils carry a net negative charge. This charge results in the cations being attracted to the surface, and these attracted cations balance the negative charge on the soil – a process known as cation exchange capacity (CEC).”
The CEC has an impact on the physical and chemical properties of the soil both at the surface as well as deeper into the soil profile through the repulsion forces between soil particles. In certain situations, Dr Menzies said a gypsum application could be particularly effective as a means of improving soil surface conditions at sowing, providing better soil tilth and reducing crusting. However he stressed that timing was critically important to ensure that rainfall and/or irrigation did not dissolve and leach all of the gypsum prior to sowing. “Generally gypsum is applied at much lower rates than are required to displace all of the Na. The expectation from these smaller additions is that they will help to ameliorate the surface soil, increasing infiltration, and encouraging more uniform crop establishment.
“Repeat applications may be needed to sustain the surface soil improvement, and would certainly be needed if an impact on the subsoil sodicity was sought. “Such small applications can be economically attractive. In the GRDC funded Combating Subsoil Constraints project (SIP08) one-time surface applied gypsum at 2.5 tonnes/hectare increased cumulative gross margins by $207/ha over four crops (wheat 2005, chickpea 2007, wheat 2008 and sorghum 2009-10), reduced 115 tonnes sodium chloride from the rooting depth and increased plant available water capacity by 15mm. “Unfortunately, gypsum application is not always profitable and more effective prediction of gypsum response is needed.” As the extent of Na saturation of the CEC increases, the reservoir of cationic plant nutrients like calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg) and potassium (K) is diminished, and the ratio of Na to the other cations in soil solution increases dramatically.
The most important of the cation nutrition problems induced by sodicity is Ca deficiency, where high solution concentrations of Na interfere with plant uptake of Ca. According to Dr Menzies, it has long been recognised that Na is not the only cation which has this effect – high concentrations of any cation can induce Ca deficiency, with aluminium (Al) especially detrimental. For this reason the ratio of Ca to the total cations in solution is a better predictor of Ca deficiency than Ca concentration alone. An even more accurate prediction of Ca deficiency is obtained when it’s expressed as a ratio of activity in solution – the calcium activity ratio (CAR), but this is a more difficult technique and really only appropriate as a research tool.
Ca has an important role in stabilizing the pectins in plant cell walls and as Ca cannot be readily translocated within the plant, there must be sufficient Ca available in the soil solution within that soil volume for roots to grow into soil. Therefore Ca deficiency usually results in a poor root system which indirectly impacts the plant through the inability of the restricted root system to acquire water and nutrients. A crop growing in a soil where sodicity induced Ca deficiency at depth has limited root proliferation into the subsoil. This causes it to be more susceptible to drought and less able to obtain nutrients at depth, rather than showing symptoms of Ca deficiency on the shoots.
On a paddock level, Dr Menzies said it was often difficult to attribute plant growth problems to a particular cause given that the physical and chemical effects of sodicity normally occurred simultaneously in sodic soils.
“For example poor soil structure will result in susceptibility to waterlogging, with the roots irreparably damaged by low oxygen availability,” he said. “But these damaged roots would not be readily distinguished from roots damaged by Ca deficiency or by alkalinity. “At a whole plant level each of these problems, or the combination of all of these problems, will result in drought susceptibility, poor capacity to capture nutrients like phosphorus which are obtained by active uptake and diffusion toward the root.”
In most instances, Dr Menzies said the same amelioration strategy applied and the application of soluble Ca (most commonly as gypsum) would address the majority of production issues. Nevertheless he said some knowledge of the specific problem faced could be extremely valuable for the development and implementation of a remediation strategy. “For example, the various aspects of poor soil structure caused by dispersion are a diffuse double layer problem – the zone of increased cation concentration and decreased anion concentration. But, individual expressions of poor soil structure require different remediation strategies,” Dr Menzies said.
“At the immediate surface of the soil, dispersion can result in surface sealing, and in the short term this can be addressed by increasing the ionic strength of the soil solution through the application of relatively low rates of gypsum. “These applications must be repeated regularly as rainfall will dissolve the gypsum and leach it down through the soil profile. Once the solid phase gypsum is all dissolved, the ionic strength of the soil solution will fall – approaching the very low ionic strength of rainwater at the soil surface – and the risk of surface sealing will re-emerge.
“Deeper in the soil profile, the ionic strength of the soil solution is much more buffered, and the beneficial effect of gypsum application is limited to the replacement of Na by Ca on the CEC.”
Caption: Dr Neal Menzies from the University of Queensland’s School of Agriculture and Food Sciences believes that while the adverse effects of sodicity on plant growth are well documented, important knowledge gaps still remain in scientists’ understanding of sodic soils.
Author: Sarah Jeffrey, Senior Consultant Cox Inall Communications – Dr Neal Menzies University of Queensland, School of Agriculture and Food Sciences – See more at: http://www.grdc.com.au/Media-Centre/Media-News/North/2015/04/Putting-the-dollars-into-sodic-soil-management#sthash.DbSCgqem.dpuf
Long-Term mineral Key to Soil Microbial Biomass
Conclusions from a review of extensive international research are not surprising but extremely significant.
Soil organic carbon increased by 13 per cent and microbial biomass increased by 15% in the average of 64 long-term international research studies using mineral nitrogen fertiliser applied to annual crops, when compared with no nitrogen fertiliser used.
Results of the study based on field trials were published in the journal Soil Biology and Biochemistry, Volume 75.
The article, Long-term Effects of Mineral Fertilisers on Soil Micro- organisms – A Review, was written by Daniel Geisseler and
Kate Scow, Agricultural
Sustain ability Institute, University of California. Microbial (fungi, bacteria archaea) biomass is the part of the .
living organism part of soil organic matter. Soil organic carbon includes organic materials of plant and animal origin at all stages of
decomposition as well as the micro-organisms. Levels of microbial biomass and organic carbon are regarded across the world scientific community as strong, measurements for assessing soil health and quality.
Generally speaking the higher the figures the healthier and greater the soil quality. The research reviewers examined results from long-term cropping trials conducted across the world, including Australia, USA, Europe, Africa, South America, Canada, China, Japan and India. The longer experiments ran, especially after 20 years, the greater the gains in microbial biomass. Some experiments had been running for more than 100 years, with the longest at 135 years, and the average across all experiments was 37 years.
Research from various sources has often shown that correcting soil deficiencies like nitrogen in cropping systems commonly results in greater yields and greater biomass production. Greater biomass means more plant residues, both roots and above ground litter, returns to the soil for future rotting down; food for soil organisms and to build soil organic matter (which is a large part of soil organic carbon). Therefore the conclusions of the review are significant. Soil acidity was a critical consideration and if not addressed the study noted worked against increasing soil microbial biomass.
Applying ammonium or urea fertilisers do tend to be acidifying, especially on lower pH soils and unless addressed can impact on rising aluminium toxicity that can adversely affect not only soil properties like microbial ‘biomass but also productivity. Aluminium and manganese become more soluble (available) and may reach toxic levels to reduce plant growth below pH 4.8. At or below this pH aluminium will reduce root growth while manganese disrupts photosynthesis and other functions of growth. Phosphorous (P) fixation with aluminium is more commonly seen from pH 4.5 to 6 and results in substantial lock-up of P.
Addressing soil acidity via liming, especially in soils below pH 5 is a common world practice and where used in the research eliminated negative impacts related to low pH. Microbial community composition was more influenced by yearly differences and different sampling times than by fertiliser on no fertiliser.
Rates of nitrogen used, applied annually, in assessing the impacts of nitrogen fertiliser use across all the experiments were around the 130 kilograms a hectare of N (or about 280kg/ha urea). Soils were tested across the 0 cm to 20cm layer.
Written by Bob Freebairn, an Agricultural Consultant at Coonabarabran for The Land Newspaper April 2015.
Sulfur (S) deficiencies have been recorded in cereal crops of the Darling Downs, since the early 1980s and symptoms are commonly mistaken as N deficiency. Few experiments have been successful in measuring soil parameters indicative of S responsive soils. A grain yield response in sorghum was recorded in a long-term S experiment during the 1998-99 season on the Darling Downs, Queensland.
Sulfur has been known for many years to be an essential plant nutrient. Reports of deficiencies have become more common in recent years in southeast Queensland and northwest NSW. Chisholm and Dowling reported on soil S status of the Darling Downs after widespread S deficiencies were reported in winter cereals.
Soil test S concentrations across the Darling Downs in the 0-60 cm layer are generally declining. This decline has been influenced by a number of changing soil management practices over the last 30 years, which have resulted in lower sulfur addition and increased S off-take from the soil. Factors associated with lower S availability include the change from superphosphate to ammonium phosphates (MAP and DAP), the reduction in gypsum (calcium sulfate di-hydrate) application and declining reserves of organic matter.
Sorghum is a widely grown summer cereal in Australia’s north eastern grain belt. Production during 1999 was estimated at 560 000 hectares, with total yield of 1 360 000 tonnes. Average grain yield is roughly 2.3 t/ha (O’Connell 2000).
Crop response to S at “Colonsay” Formartin, Qld, 1998-99 -Visual responses to the S rates were observed during the 1998-99 season. This was the first observance of a visual response to S at this experimental site. The crop response was noted as broader leaves, a slightly darker green colouring and a slightly more vigorous plant compared to the 0 kg/ha S plots. In addition to the visual symptoms, a significant yield response for S additon rate was recorded. Grain yield increased from 6150 kg/ha where no S had been applied to 6950 kg/ha where 30 kg S/ha had been applied to each crop. Mean grain yields from 20 or 30 kg/ha S rate yielded more than where 120 kg/ha N had been applied in the N x P experiment. Grain protein in the range 9 to 10 % indicates that the crop N supply was adequate for the yield increases measured. There were no significant grain protein, grain S% or grain N:S ratio effects from S application.
Gypsum application is a cost effective source of Sulphur and it is available ex Brisbane in bulk and bags.
The study was completed by D. W. Lester, and C. W. Dowling – Incitec Fertilizers, Toowoomba Qld.
Animal manure when applied to cropland, can supply nitrogen and other nutrients necessary for plant growth. Asutralia’s soils are generally naturally low in organic matter. The use of animal manure on cropland can increase the tilth, aeration, water-and nutrient-holding capacities, infiltration rate, organic matter content, and microbial activity of soil.
Manures from concentrated animal feeding operations such as the feedlots in the Darling Downs are usually high in salt content. Most dairy and feedlot manures contain 5 to 10% salt (50,000 to 100,000 ppm). Frequent and/or large (20 tons per acre) applications of manure to cropland increases the risk of salt injury to plants. Salt-sensitive plants such as lettuce, tree fruits and nuts are especially susceptible.
Gypsum improves soil structure by displacing sodium (and magnesium) on the surface of clay particles with calcium. Gypsum is sparingly soluble, but the sodium (and magnesium) sulphates that form in the soil solution are very soluble. Water additions (rain/irrigation) is required to leach these soluble salts out of the topsoil deeper into the soil profile, away from zone in which crop roots will be growing.
Here are five key benefits of gypsum application:
1. Source of calcium and sulfur for plant nutrition. Plants are becoming more deficient for sulfur and mot soil are not supplying it. Gypsum is an excellent and cheap source of sulfur for plant nutrition and improving crop yield.
2. Improves soil structure. Flocculation, or aggregation, is needed to give favorable soil structure for root growth and air and water movement. Clay dispersion and collapse of structure at the soil-air interface is a major contributor to crust formation. Gypsum has been used for many years to improve aggregation and inhibit or overcome dispersion in sodic soils. Soluble calcium enhances soil aggregation and porosity to improve water infiltration. This is important to manage the calcium status of the soil, just like managing NPK levels.In soils having unfavorable calcium-magnesium ratios, gypsum can create a more favorable ratio. The addition of soluble calcium can overcome the dispersion effects of magnesium or sodium ions and help promote flocculation and structure development in dispersed soils.
3. Improves water infiltration. Gypsum also improves the ability of soil to drain and not become waterlogged due to a combination of high sodium, swelling clay and excess water. When gypsum is applied to the soil, it allows water to move into the soil and allow the crop to grow well.Increased water-use efficiency of crops is extremely important during a drought and with the increased costs of irrigation water and power bills. Better soil structure allows all the positive benefits of soil-water relations to occur and gypsum helps to create and support good soil structure properties.
4. Gypsum improves water infiltration rates into soils and also hydraulic conductivity of the soil. It is protection against excess water run-off from especially large storms that are accompanied with erosion. Helps reduce runoff and erosion. Agriculture is considered to be one of the major contributors to water quality, with phosphorus runoff the biggest concern. Experts explained how gypsum helps to keep phosphorus and other nutrients from leaving farm fields. Gypsum should be considered as a Best Management Practice for reducing soluble P losses.
5. Improves acid soils and treats aluminum toxicity. Gypsum has the ability to reduce aluminum toxicity, which often accompanies soil acidity, particularly in subsoils. Gypsum can improve some acid soils (sodic soils) even beyond what lime can do for them, which makes it possible to have deeper rooting with resulting benefits to the crops. Top dressed gypsum leaches down to to the subsoil and results in increased root growth. Gypsum can also increase the effectiveness of liming when treating acid soils.
