Converte Quarterly Newsletter
February 2022 NEWSLETTER
Update from the team at Converte
Fires and floods continue to impact growing regions across Australia with greater frequency. In SA floods have ripped through paddocks leaving large scars on the landscape and farmers contemplating their management options. We continue to advocate for a focus on resilient landscapes with healthy functioning soils and diverse plantings to incorporate natures protection mechanisms into our food production systems. A transition is underway to farming on a lower energy and carbon footprint. Converte products assist in this transition by driving the efficiency of applied fertiliser and chemical inputs and ensuring that soils are biologically active and soil nutrients are cycling and plant available. Small adjustments in the farm inputs planning can deliver big changes, none more striking than improvements in soil moisture retention.
2021 was a tough year for businesses and everyone dealing with COVID and its consequences on health, trade and life in general. But our agricultural sector kicked some serious goals in 2021 and kept food on the shelves and supply chains moving. There is no better place to work than in sustainable food production and reaping the benefits of managing soils, stock and nature for a healthy, prosperus future.
There are many challenges ahead but by working together and pooling knowledge and expertise we can find innovative solutions for future food and farming.
Best Wishes to all,
from the team at Converte
Converte Awarded Federal Government Supply Chain Resilience Grant for Agriculture
The Australian Federal Government recently announced grant awards as part of its $1.5 billion Modern Manufacturing Strategy. These grants were set up to help Australian businesses build or scale their capabilities towards a supply chain vulnerability for agricultural production chemicals. Phase 1 awards were announced earlier this month and were aimed at offering 27 projects a share of $33 Million Dollars.
Converte are delighted to be one of the recipients of this important grant, which will be used to build automated liquid filling lines for its Bio-Fertiliser range. The new production lines will mean a significant increase in manufacturing capacity and greater efficiency in bottling and product handling.
The grant recognised the role of Converte’s products in relation to fertiliser efficiency of applied and in ground Phosphorus. The grant application included submitting extensive research with independent scientists behind the increases in enzymes associated with the availability and cycling of NPK nutrients.
Soil Testing Can Help Drive Fertiliser Efficiency
Fertilizer costs are at 12 year high and supply shortages are impacting farmers across the country. Now is the time to take advantage of soil testing to ensure that soils are optimally balanced to maximise nutrient availability and cycling. A good soil chemistry test is really worth its weight in gold and can guide soil and fertiliser management for the year ahead.
Soil balancing is necessary to improve soil performance and efficiency and regular soil testing is recommended. Converte use a random sampling methodology sourcing 12-16 points in a paddock area of 5-10 ha, to a depth of 20cm and mixing the soil to provide a composite sample. Provided you pick a representative area of the paddock this technique works well giving reliable results.
Converte send soil samples to independent laboratories for a range of chemical parameters under an Albrecht / Reams soil balancing test. The focus is primarily on addressing key imbalances that could potentially impact nutrient/fertiliser efficiency.
Our first focus on a soil test is the Cation Exchange Capacity (CEC) and Calcium: Magnesium balance. This has a huge bearing on soil health, ability to hold water and to transfer nutrients to the plant. The CEC is a measure of the soils ability to hold and transfer nutrients and in a well-balanced soil this will be around 12.
In a balanced soil the Calcium percentage should be 60-70% and Magnesium 10-20%. Too much calcium and your soil will become too loose and will lose moisture. High rates of magnesium cause the soil to become too tight and won’t allow moisture to penetrate. If the balance is right the pH will be around 6 to 6.5. Improving the Ca: Mg balance requires careful consideration with your agronomist, liming at high rates can choke the soil and sandy soils may need a dolomite limestone to add additional magnesium. Take care with this decision as it is critical to your soil’s potential for optimal performance.
Second on the soil test for us is Phosphorus (P) and we like to know the plant available P and the total P. We often encounter farms with several years of in ground phosphorus and this can be gradually released by improving soil balance and biological function. This will affect how much P you apply in the form of super phosphate or softer rock phosphate and can lead to considerable savings.
Thirdly we look at the trace elements and in particular Boron, Moly, Zinc, Copper and Manganese. Traces play important roles in plant health and function with deficiencies impacting both quality of crops and total yield.
Finally, the Soil organic matter is the engine room of the soil that keeps the system functioning with nutrients flowing. Ideally, we want soils with 3-4% organic matter or more, but if we are managing soils with 2% or less, then adding some additional organic matter (if economical) is well worth considering.
Once balanced, soil has an active biological component and soil biology can access far more nutrients than any farmer could ever add. Soil contains an extensive army of microbiology ready to provide nature’s free services, including water and nutrient management. To get the most from soil biology, it requires protecting with appropriate cover and feeding. No till farming with year-round cover cropping is one means of protecting soil biology and building soil carbon. However, any farming system needs to be balanced with appropriate fertiliser and chemical input. High chemical inputs will result in sub optimum soil biology. In the end it’s all about balance.
In response to recent fertiliser prices, we have decided to help fellow farmers with a Free Soil Test and detailed interpretive report (Valued at $165)
Claim Your Free Soil Test below ↓
Maximising Seed Potential
'high nutrient seed primer'
High nutrient seed coating or priming has to be one of the most cost effective treatments a farmer can apply to improve his crop health.
The Converte seed primer has been specially formulated to deliver the most complex and balanced nutrient treatment directly into the seed. The seed embryo is enriched with access to nutrients, vitamins and biological processes that support optimum germination and build vigorous growth towards maximum yield.
For less than $35 per tonne of seed the benefits include:
• Faster speed of emergence
• Disease management via exposure to beneficial microorganisms
• Early root growth and development accessing moisture
• Enhanced vigor for optimal plant development
• Increased yield potential
Seed priming will assist in building a more vigorous and biological diverse root system. Roots emerging from the germinating seed already have access to important nutrients and their early development empowers the availability and uptake of soil nutrients. High phosphorus (P) levels in the seed primer are essential for plant growth and are a component of macromolecules that build essential proteins. Vitamins also play a role and research shows that Cotton seed germination and the subsequent growth of the sprouts has been enhanced with vitamins B1 and B3 by up to 30%.
Canola Trial delivers on Yield and Oil Content
Our 2021 Canola trial delivered impressive results. We measured the underlying improvements in soil quality and function, including an increase on the control site in VAM fungi 74% (single dose plantfood) and 245% (double dose). This has also resulted in the nutrient accessibility increasing from 8.9% to 15.5% and 30.7% in the control, single dose and double dose Plantfood rows respectively.
Seed Primer plus Plantfood application 250ml / ha and double Plantfood application 500ml both delivered similar yield increases of 9.5% and 10.5% respectively. Across all treatments the oil content increased on average 2% over the control.
The net Return on Investment was between $141 and $179 per hectare in a season when Canola was selling for $900 per tonne. A handy return per hectare and an investment into soil health and function that will pay dividends in the season to come.
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Farmer Feedback Segment
After the major weather events that have happened, which have negatively impacted a lot of farmers all over Australia, this is some of the recent feedback that we have been provided by customers using our products.
Manildra, Broadacre Farmer NSW- Paul Windus.
‘After 120mls of rain over a 2 day period, his flood area paddocks which have always been covered in water after major weather events like this, but he couldn’t believe that there wasn’t so much as a puddle in these same areas this year.’
He has been using Converte Plantfood for four consecutive years.
Urana, NSW- Stuart Urquhart
‘His lupin paddock of which half was treated with Converte Plantfood, after the rains he was able to continue working this area. Whereas on the other half he was getting bogged and couldn’t continue work until dry.’ He has been using Converte products for five consecutive years.
Feedback provided by farmers who have been using Converte products verifies soil health and condition improvements are visible and qualitative to users. This is due to the increase in microbial activity and VAM in soils that Converte supports, allowing better water absorption and retention.
Staff Profile - Lakshmi Bala
In other news we welcome a new team member, Lakshmi Bala. She had recently joined us in October 2021 as a Brand & Marketing manager. Lakshmi’s formal background was in Psychology however after graduating from university, she decided to use principles learned in her degree to delve into the world of marketing & advertising. Lakshmi then founded an advertising agency & later an ecommerce store both of which were online based businesses. After travelling the world and witnessing some of the dire impacts climate change has had on our environment, Lakshmi decided to dedicate her skills to working in industries that help achieve a sustainable future for our planet.
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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
Isabel Bruekers - Ag Scientist, Griffith Isabel.Bruekers@converte.com.au
Lakshmi Bala - Brand and Marketing Manager Lakshmi.Bala@converte.com.au
Luke Peacock – Perth WA 0428 542 776 luke.peacock@converte.com.au
Mal Paterson - Queensland 0477 783 734
Stuart Davidson - Wagga Wagga Area 0400 539 153
John Ridley – general business enquiries, investors and international
+61-419 120 447, john.ridley@converte.com.au
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Employment Opportunities Call 1800 108 940 or email info@converte.com.au for further details.
Distributors:
For those in the Central West NSW you can buy your Converte Products at:
AgriWest Parkes 20 Clarinda Street, Parkes NSW 2870
Tel. (02) 6862 1066
Agwise Rural Supplies, 2 Naylor St, Cudal NSW 2864 Tel. (02) 6364 2240
