More and more, Australian croppers are realising the benefits of retaining crop stubble.
After all, why burn stubble when you can use it to build carbon in the soil and boost its nutrient-holding capacity?
Not only can stubble enrich the soil by increasing microorganism activity, it also works to boost nitrogen and carbon, helping to make nutrients available for future crop growth.
It also helps prevent erosion and slows down moisture loss due to evaporation.
And let’s not forget the real downsides of stubble burning.
According to Agriculture Victoria, “burning contributes to nutrient losses from the stubble”.
It estimates that around 80 per cent of nitrogen, 50 to 80 per cent of sulphur and 40 per cent of phosphorus can be lost to the atmosphere from burnt cereal stubble. And additional phosphorus and potassium can be lost in the ash.
A recent study also confirmed that stubble burning is one of the major contributors to atmospheric pollution in the world, releasing particulate and gaseous pollutants that have serious effects on human health and the environment.
But the challenge of turning crop residual into organic matter remained — until now
The team at Biolink 4 Plants has developed a proven program to help croppers manage their stubble and turn it into a valuable resource on the farm.
The team’s approach is all about activating beneficial microbes to speed-up the process of organic breakdown.
“With increasing input costs for crop growers, especially fertilisers and fuel, it’s even more important to use the resources you’ve got at hand,” Biolink 4 Plants co-owner and former Victorian dairy farmer Kevin Beecroft said.
“Our biologically-based, chemical-free fertilisers and soil stimulants break down organic matter, enriching the soil and making nutrients more available for the next round of crops.
“We’re seeing real results. There are a couple of approaches we’ve seen work. The first is to use a Tow and Fert, applying our Ignition product to stubble. All you need is 5kg of Ignition in 100 to 200 litres of water per hectare through the Tow and Fert machine or equivalent.
“A second approach is to use our Ignition Soil Drench through your normal spray units.
“You apply one to two kilograms of the soil drench in 100 to 200 litres of water per hectare with broad spray nozzles (gray or broader).
“Biolink Ignition Soil Drench has gone through a specialised micronising process to bring it down the under five micron in size and energise the carbon content. This helps to get greater penetration and reactive surface areas for the microbials to work with for better breakdown.”