Converte Quarterly Newsletter
April 2020
CONVERTE NEWSLETTER
A Message from the Managing Director
The world has gone mad, but there are rays of sunshine and suddenly the best place to be is back on the farm, who would have thought! Rains have arrived and the mid - term forecast over the next few months looks a lot better than average. So despite Covid19 and the havoc it is causing across the country it is farmers that are shoring up the economy and making sure there is food on the shelves. A big thank you to all farmers for the work they do to ensure that we have a food secure nation and also support the rest of the world with our food exports.
We continue to operate as normally as we can, and just wrapped up a very good March with increasing trade especially in the eastern states. Freight continues to operate, keeping the country running and ensuring that you the farmer can receive the inputs you need on time. Like you we have so many plans, farm visits, conferences, trials, farmers field days all ON HOLD, but staying safe and healthy is the priority and protecting the vulnerable. A new sense of community may emerge from the impacts of Covid19 together with a deeper understanding of our connectivity to nature. I wish I had a dollar for every time a politician says we are all in this together, in fact we are just part of nature and farmers know that more than most - "the economy is a wholly owned subsidiary of the environment".
In these strangest of times we wish everyone good health and we hope that things will return to something resembling normal before too long,
Best Wishes & Stay Safe
from the team at Converte
Driving Pasture and Forage Feed Quality
Working with an irrigated dairy operation Converte recently trialled the impact of reducing chemical fertilisers applications and adding in Converte Plantfood at a rate of 250ml / hectare and Converte Excelerate (11%N) at 50% rate 3 litres / ha. The Plantfood is a fully balanced and chelated trace element liquid application, which also provides a source of carbon, sugars and a range of micro nutrients designed to catalyse the soil biological system. Improved biology in the soil increases the efficiency of nitrogen utilisation and also the production of nitrogenase enzymes that fix nitrogen in the soil and atmosphere.
The ultimate goal is to produce higher quality produce that will lead to benefits up the food-chain in feed, animal health, milk and in human health.
Converte have measured the biological change the Plantfood is causing by looking at gene abundance in the soils and measured 138% increases in pastures after a single application. The extra biology is working on nutrient availability and transfer, opening up the soil structure, enhancing moisture retention and reducing compaction. Stock will preferentially feed where they detect higher concentrations of available nutrients and observing their behaviour is perhaps the best endorsement of the quality of grasses and feed.
In our recent trial of forage Sorghum (Pioneer) we undertook plant tissue tests and all trace elements were found to be significantly higher in the Plantfood treated Sorghum. It was also noted that crude protein increased 62% and the C:N ratio was reduced to levels more compatible with gut biology. The total mass of production increased visibly but with active grazing it was not possible to quantify in this trial. Photographs below show 7 days growth from Converte application.
Further work will continue to assess yield benefits and improvements in animal health and milk quality. This work adds to an increasing volume of evidence that supporting the soil biological system is a win-win scenario for farmers, saving dollars on inputs and achieving better quality outcomes.
Converte Bio - Pest Control
How can farmers make the first step towards reducing pesticide use on growing crops?
Here is an example of a paddock in Dandaragan, WA, sent in by one of our WA customers:
The observations are from a paddock planted with barley. Red legged Earth mites and wild radish were recorded in the paddock. "Our Agronomist advised us that we needed to spray with a selective herbicide and an insecticide. We were however, keen to try something different and to preserve the good worm castings in the paddock.
So, we decided to do a split paddock trial and in one area switched the insecticide with Converte’s Plantfood. The Plantfood is high in organic carbon and feeds the soil biological system leading to greater root exudates, further feeding soil biology.
Converte Plantfood has a plant available balanced mix of all the important trace elements to help fungi and bacteria build a disease suppressing soil and increased resilience to pest attack.
Due to the lack of summer rains in 2019, the late break and being short on feed, we let sheep in to graze the barely for 3 days. In the Converte treated area we noticed after the sheep had been taken out that the Dung Beetles returned and that the manure was incorporated in a week or so. There was no further insect, grub or fungus attack for the rest of the year and no sign of the Red legged earth mites. Where we had used insecticide the Dung Beetles took several months to return and the Red Legged Earth mites are still there!!.
Testimonial (February 2020)
Bluehaven Park Poll Dorset’s- Lauralee Terlich
(Bluehaven Park Poll Dorsets is located on Clearview, which is a 467ha property at Pleasant Hills. Pleasant Hills is located 27km west of Henty NSW).
We have been using Converte Animal Wellbeing for the past 3 years and have improved our flock health significantly. Our ewes have much more energy at lambing, which has resulted in more milk for the lambs.
Since using Converte Animal Wellbeing we have had a significant reduction in the number of lambs that have dystocia. As a result, we have had better lamb survival and less time and work spent look after our sheep. The ewes have less trouble having lambs.
After using Converte Animal Wellbeing we have found a significant reduction in number of twin lambs that are not tangled up together inside of the ewe. Overall the lambs inside of the ewe both twins and single tend to be in a better position for the easy of lambing. As a result, we have less ewes with pelvic problems and therefore they have been able to retain in the flock. This has resulted in an increased lambing percentage, less overall work and increased profitability.
We have seen a significant reduction in the number of prolapses in ewes as a result of using Converte Animal Wellbeing.
There has also been increases in overall weight gain in our lambs as a result of better feed conversion. This has resulted in selling our lambs off at a higher weight in shorter time period. Our lambs have so much more energy.
We have been using Converte Seed Primer for 5 years. During that time are crops are germinating and breaking through out of the soil within 6-7 days under good conditions-early sowing. This has allowed for our crops to be grazed earlier.
This year we used Converte Super Concentrate Plantfood and have seen increased plant growth. Using a visual assessment, we have found our crops to have high frost tolerance. After spraying the crops with Converte Super Concentrate Plantfood we observed better plant colouring (less yellowing) and good healthy plants.
Even with the incredibly low rainfall during the growing season, the grain that we have already harvested has been very good quality. The grain has been smaller due to the lack to rainfall but the grain has a lot of weight to it. In one of or wheat crops we achieved up to 1.5t/ha.
We cannot afford to not use Converte products every year.
What to know more - drop us a line, 1800 108 940 or email at info@converte.com.au
Talkin' Soil Health - York WA
11-13th March Wheatbelt NRM
Converte exhibited again at Talkin' Soil Health in WA in what was our last event before travel was restricted. This years event was held in historic town of York east of Perth.
Talkin' Soil Health brings together farmers and industry professionals to discuss how they are tackling the issue of soil health.
There was an impressive line up of speakers including a key note from Joel Williams from Integrated Soils Canada. You can access the presentations by copying and pasting this link:
https://www.soilhealth.com.au/presentations-
Here are a few of the take home messages:
"soil biodiversity is the natural capital of farming. Soil organic carbon is the currency of this capital, as it determines the amount of soil life and consequently soil fertility and yields".
Any shift from mono-cropping will support the soil biological system such as companion cropping and inter-row cropping. Plant diversity increases the soil biological diversity, building functional soils, improved moisture retention and added resilience to stresses.
Shoots, roots and exudates are the 3 products of plant photosynthesis. The decay of shoot litter is only a minor contributor to soil organic matter, living roots are 5x more effective at building soil organic matter.
Converte's Online Sales Bushfire Campaign BUY 1 GIVE 1
If your feeling generous this Easter jump on line and buy your Converte products on line and we will match your purchase with the equivalent donation of product to farmers recovering from bushfires earlier in the year.
Thanks to your generosity we have now supplied products to nine impacted farms / rural communities. We have another 12 farms in line for donations so your support is greatly appreciated.
Jump on our online shop and BUY 1 GIVE 1 to farmers and rural communities in need. CLICK Shop Converte Plantfood below or paste this link into your browser: www.converte.com.au/shop-converte/
Visit Converte at These Upcoming Events
Our next field day might be the Riverina Field Days in September in Griffith NSW. But we will be having virtual field days and sending out our field day offers to you when your local field day was scheduled - WATCH THIS SPACE
#ConverteAU Photo Sharing
Share your best photos of results from using Converte on your social media with the hashtag #ConverteAU .
Don't miss a quarterly newsletter! Read our current and recent issues online anytime.
Your Converte Support Network
Julie Vereker – Griffith, 1800 108 940, julie.vereker@converte.com.au
Mark Vereker - Griffith 0412 420 103 Product Enquiries and Orders NSW
Greg Thompson – Yoogali 0429 623 824
Andrew Nelson – Wagga Wagga, 0427 551 160
Grahame Routley – Narrandera / Lockhart 0428 271 550
Luke Peacock – Perth WA 0428 542 776, luke.peacock@converte.com.au
John Ridley – general business enquiries, investors and international, 0419 120 447, john.ridley@converte.com.au
*Don't forget to follow Converte on Social Media by clicking the links below and please forward this newsletter to interested friends and family.
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