Farmers needed for trials
Whakatane firm Wormtech NZ Ltd is looking for dairy farmers in the local area to participate in trials of its latest product for boosting soil microbial life and improving fertiliser uptake.
“We’ve got plenty of anecdotal evidence that products like these really work, but we want more data on how well this product works in different soils and under different fertiliser regimes” says managing director Greg Walker. “You can’t get that sort of real-life proof in the lab, so we are looking for farm trials. We have one under way but want more, so we are offering a financial incentive.”
Wormtech Pasture is based on Wormtech’s long standing vermicast liquid, which has been used as a foliar feed and a soil conditioner in the kiwifruit industry since 2000. Wormtech Pasture also includes additives humic acid and UNLO2K, and is formulated specifically for intensive pasture production. It is not organic certified, although the Wormtech vermiculture operation near Te Teko, and some other Wormtech products, are.
“Fertiliser prices are up, and the environmental pressure is on dairy farmers to more closely manage the nutrient budgets on their farms. Our aim is to demonstrate how farmers can reduce fertiliser application significantly and, by reviving microbial life in the soil, improve productivity.
“We are looking for farmers around the Rangitaiki Plains, Galatea and Opotiki, who will boom spray our product twice over the season to a few paddocks, treating only one half of each paddock and leaving the other as a control. We also want them involved in outlining their management regime and soil types, assessing the trial results and providing feedback, and once the trial is completed as agreed, we will rebate 30% of the purchase price of the product.
“Of course, any farmers who are already sold on this approach are welcome to treat the whole farm, and we’d love to talk to them too, but our main focus this season is on getting more information, not making a fast buck” says Greg. “We need to hear from farmers in July so we can plan the trials ahead of their spring fertiliser applications.”
Farmers wishing to register interesting a trial or find out more should call Greg Walker on 0800 007 877.