DownUnder Special bulletin from Haifa Australia Edition 24 JULY 2023 ALSO IN THIS EDITION Still lot to learn with almond tree nutrition Page 14 Nutrigation program improves raspberry yield PageS 12-13 Nursery sets up best vegie crops for growers PageS 8-11 Plenty to consider with fertiliser decisions PageS 4-5 Greenhouse answer to global food challenge CMYK Haifa Australia (03) 9583 4691 australia@haifa-group.com www.haifa-group.com Cont. page 2 AFTER a difficult season for almond production and quality, Anthony Wachtel with the Almond Board of Australia (ABA) says when it comes to tree nutrition, “there is still a lot to learn about what we don’t know yet’’. Anthony is Orchard Manager at the ABA’s Almond Centre of Excellence property near Loxton, which it manages for a wide range of research with industry departments, tertiary institutions and commercial organisations. The 60-hectare property, comprising loamy sand soils, was planted in 2017 to several varieties and rootstocks, including some new Australian lines, with the research looking at various issues including tree densities, irrigation, tree structure, soil amelioration and orchard machinery, as well as nutrition. Haifa Australia Southern Agronomist Sheri Robinson and Anthony Wachtel, Orchard Manager at the Almond Board of Australia’s Almond Centre of Excellence property near Loxton in SA, discuss tree nutrition pre and post-harvest and the impact for future crops. High quality fertilisers are used in the orchard, including Haifa’s Multi-K potassium nitrate, as well as calcium nitrate, potassium sulphate, phosphorus, liquid fertilisers, UAN
2 3 and micronutrients including reasonable quantities of iron and magnesium and foliar blends. “Potassium nitrate was applied in every fertiliser mix last season from August 16 to October 28, including with every nutrient foliar spray,’’ Anthony said. Fertiliser applications were lower overall due to the very cool and wet conditions and, similar to reports from other areas, the Nonpareil crop was looking light. “The weather conditions may have affected pollination. Despite bee numbers being at standard stocking rate, early flowering varieties like Nonpareil and Shasta showed more duds, deformed kernel and poor crackout percentages,’’ Anthony said. However, a switch from using an EDTA iron chelate to an EDDHA iron chelate to better suit the soil pH on the property last season, combined with magnesium and micronutrient blends, resulted in “greener trees’’, and this had since triggered discussion with Haifa Australia Southern Agronomist Sheri Robinson on what this could mean for future crops. Sheri said she noticed a significant difference in the leaf health at the Almond Centre of Excellence property last season compared with some other orchards that may have been impacted by limiting micronutrient supply and “wet feet’’. “The site started looking green from the start, which is a good indication of a strong micronutrient program,’’ Sheri said. She said Haifa now offered an EDDHA iron chelate with the highest ortho-ortho level of 5.2pc, ensuring more efficient use of the nutrient and improved production and quality. Anthony said in the early part of the season they applied 1.3 kilograms/ha of EDDHA iron with a 3pc ortho-ortho level per week, combined with magnesium and a liquid micronutrient mix. It amounted to a total of 8kg/ha of iron and resulted in healthy green leaves. “We noticed the difference with the strong micronutrient program and the health dropped away slightly leading in to harvest. The difference this leaf health makes to future crops could be interesting and we will be taking a closer look at it, particularly the benefit over the November to March period.’’ Leaf health Anthony also has taken note of the fertiliser input curve presented at the Australian Almond Conference last October by Dr Patrick Brown, which indicated a reduced post-harvest requirement for fertiliser if leaf and tree health is maintained through to harvest. This curve suggests maintenance of small amounts of fertiliser from November to harvest, instead of a significant postharvest feed, to ensure leaf health and return of nutrition to trees in storage for the post-harvest shut-down period. “We have traditionally applied fertiliser to mid-November and then post-harvest, but the trees can lose leaves and start to shut down. Last season it was significantly healthier all the way through to harvest.’’ Sheri said as trees shut down postharvest, it was known the leaves store carbohydrates back to the trunks and the subsequent tree health could impact the next year’s crop. In line with Dr Brown’s fertiliser curve, she said instead of growers applying 30pc of the fertiliser post-harvest, there could be a benefit from “teaspoon feeding’’ trees at no extra cost over the four-month November to March period to maintain leaf health. “The flow-on effect for orchard health from the recent season into the next will be interesting to observe and record on a nutritional performance level to explore these benefits from one year’s tree health into another. This is especially of interest as growers look to reduce costs and, hence, in some cases, fertiliser quality. The question to consider is: What will the impact be to following crops if I adjust my fertiliser program?’’ “Rather than applying sulphate of potash, UAN and NPK fertiliser postharvest, some of this larger feed could be applied using Poly-Feed, a complete NPK fertiliser with micronutrients, at the lower requirement period from November to harvest. It could be trickled to the trees with the aim of better leaf health for improved post-harvest health and carbohydrate return.’’ Almond tree nutrition (cont.) Haifa at VicVID 2023 HAIFA Australia joined in the return of specialist vegetable industry field days to Victoria at the end of April. The Victorian Vegetable Innovation Days 2023 was staged over two days in Catani, south-east of Melbourne. Haifa Australia Southern Agronomist Sheri Robinson and Managing Director Trevor Dennis with Maddy Buykz, Elders Packenham, looking over one of Terranova Seeds’ salad mix varieties during the field days. THE importance of quality in all goods has once again come to the fore amid the changing global market conditions of recent times and has remained a primary purpose for Haifa and our Australian team. When it comes to Haifa fertilisers, we only sell products we manufacture in our own factories, or that we have sourced from the highest quality European manufacturers. Many already know that we have some of the lowest sodium and chloride fertiliser options available and our unique process includes drying various products before bagging. This focus on quality should not be lost on industry and growers as you undertake your own quality assurance programs. Haifa can supply certificates of analysis for our products to ensure growers know they are getting what they pay for, and our full control over manufacturing ensures they are free of any impurities. This quest for quality in the industry is being strongly supported by Fertilizer Australia, which is undertaking a product labelling and stewardship awareness program. The aim is to ensure growers are buying products that can be traced for food safety and which comply with Australian industry regulations. Some fertiliser products don’t have batch numbers and cannot be traced, which presents a major issue if a recall is required. While we are talking of quality, Haifa’s range of micronutrients is being well received by the local market. Support has been particularly strong for our iron EDDHA with the highest orthoortho in the Australian market of 5.2 per cent, which is giving growers confidence that the iron is being absorbed most effectively by plants. To find out more about the Haifa micronutrient range, talk to your local Haifa Australia representative. And for nut tree growers, to further support your fertiliser decisions, see pages 8-11. Sheri is interested in tracking plant nutrition through regular testing in almond orchards with Anthony and the industry, particularly during the November to March period and comparing between different fertiliser programs to explore Dr Brown’s theory. “There is also opportunity to further investigate nutrient use efficiencies, as well as the use of micronutrients including manganese and silica, as these are known to provide plant resilience to pests and diseases,’’ she said. By Trevor Dennis Managing Director, Haifa Australia Quality comes back to the fore ABOVE: Pictured shows the canopy health and leaf colour at the Almond Centre of Excellence property near Loxton in SA on October 13 last year. LEFT: Sheri inspects canopy health and leaf colour at another almond property on September 28 last year. Click for further info Multi-K Poly-Feed Haifa Micronutrients
5 4 MANY people already know about the looming global food security challenge despite maximising production from the world’s existing agricultural areas, but not enough know about the ability of the greenhouse sector to answer it. Haifa Group, which supplies up to 30 per cent of the industry’s nutrition and is a particularly dominant player with advanced greenhouse systems, hopes to change this and has established a Modern Greenhouse Taskforce to extend knowledge of leading-edge systems and help drive adoption. “The knowledge is already there, but most of the world is not using greenhouses for significant production,’’ said Tal Shani, Soluble Fertilisers Marketing Manager with Haifa Group and a member of its specialist Taskforce. “Modern greenhouses are highly sophisticated, but they are a simple way to produce food using less resources including fertiliser and water. “The target is to produce more food for people from a much smaller area with less amounts of fertiliser and water. With reduced land available for production, using much less resources to produce more food is the future. “The nutrients we continue to take out of the ground are not endless, so we have to think about our kids coming through and future generations.’’ Haifa Group offers a wide range of high quality fertiliser products to the greenhouse industry, supported by key knowledge extension and technologies that use innovative software developed by the company to assist growers and technical advisers with different crop nutrition programs. “Haifa Group analyses the challenges growers face and aims to create the best solutions for their needs,’’Tal said. “The nutritional solutions we develop combine products and services that generate added value and benefits for growers. A good example is Multi-K™ Reci, potassium nitrate with near-zero sodium we developed for soilless greenhouses in Northern Europe, where regulations require circulation of the irrigation solution. “Multi-K Reci minimises accumulation of sodium, thus reducing the need to remove this harmful element. This is both an economic and environmental benefit.’’ Other Haifa Group products that meet specific needs of the greenhouse sector include GrowClean™ and Poly-Feed Stim, while it also offers Haifa Cal™ prime, Haifa MKP™, Haifa SOP™ Prime and Haifa Micro™. A new product the company is excited to launch soon is Multi-K™ Prime, a highly pure fertiliser that will especially suit the most sensitive crops and greenhouses, including hydroponics. Haifa Group’s digital technologies and services have further expanded its impact in the industry, with programs like NutriNet™ and its expert agronomists helping growers to optimise their fertilisation programs. To help “share the knowledge’’, the company recently hosted about 120 team members and distributors from 30 countries in the world’s greenhouse capital, the Netherlands. The ‘Haifa HortiTech’ event was staged at the World Horti Centre at Naaldwijk, an innovation hub for international greenhouse horticulture that harnesses industry research, businesses, government and educators, and where Haifa Group has invested strongly in research and development and also maintains an exhibition stand. Tal said the event had been planned since 2019, before covid interruptions, and was designed to bring professional people together from distribution and Greenhouse industry set to answer global food shortage including agronomists, who could advise growers and support the expansion of the greenhouse industry. “Knowledge sharing is one of Haifa Group’s major platforms. With our plant nutrition solutions, professional knowledge is essential for growers to realise the full benefits, and, more importantly, to grow better crops with less inputs and minimal impact on the environment.’’ In addition to a tour of the World Horti Centre and hearing presentations on a range of topics including irrigation, lighting, substrates, energy saving screens, water supply and even insurance, delegates were updated on some of the company’s latest developments and nutrition solutions for advanced greenhouses. Haifa Group’s digital offering also was in the spotlight and while this covered improvements to its FoliMatch and MultiMatch tools, there was keen interest in the company’s announcement of its partnership in Croptune, a unique smartphone app that monitors the nitrogen status of crops in real time. “Providing solutions to growers is the whole focus and for Haifa, that is about using all technologies in order to give the full solution to growers,’’Tal said. “Due to having to wait for lab results, a lot of growers don’t bother testing, but with Croptune you get the results straight away. “Growers get the correct information to help make immediate decisions. If the N status is too much, they can stop and not waste any more fertiliser or impact the environment. If it is not enough, they can apply immediately before perhaps seeing any deficiency symptoms, in which case it already is too late.’’ He said rather than relying on a number of leaf samples from crops, growers also could use Croptune at numerous sites and then take action on the information and make much more precise nutrition decisions. The technology also is constantly updated and already is being regularly Tal Shani (rear left), Soluble Fertilisers Marketing Manager with Haifa Group, and members of the company’s Modern Greenhouse Taskforce, which aims to extend knowledge of advanced greenhouse systems across the globe and to help drive adoption. Haifa HortiTech delegates at the World Horti Centre at Naaldwijk in the Netherlands. Click for further info Multi-K Reci GrowClean Poly-Feed Stim Haifa Cal Prime Haifa MKP used by distribution and agronomy teams, as well as growers around the world. Presentations from the Haifa HortiTech event in the Netherlands, in addition to a range of other professional videos for the greenhouse industry, are now available on the company’s youtube channel. Haifa SOP Haifa Micronutrients NutriNet FoliMatch Croptune
6 TM when feeding plants iron ‘Chelates ain’t chelates’ OILS ain’t oils’’, as we will long recall, and when it comes to supplying iron for plant nutrition according to your soil’s pH level, “chelates ain’t chelates’’. Sheri Robinson, Southern Agronomist with specialty fertiliser supplier Haifa Australia, which is becoming a strong new option in the country’s micronutrients market, said iron was available in a full range of chelates and unless growers were applying the correct chelate for their soil type, they could be wasting their time and money. She said to take this a step further, when using the EDDHA chelate for iron, “stability ain’t stability’’ and growers needed to check stability components to ensure they maximised plant production benefits and their return on investment in this iron chelate. “Ortho-ortho is the shape of the EDDHA and is the most stable form in soil, so growers need to check the ortho-ortho percentage of this chelate, rather than just the total iron percentage,’’ Sheri said. “Ortho-ortho is the best for keeping the chelate in the soil solution, including in higher pH calcareous soils, so the level of this is more important than the total. “An EDDHA iron chelate may have a total iron percentage of 6, but it may only have a 4.8pc ortho-ortho component, leaving 1.2pc as ortho-para or para-para, which are components that are not as strong.’’ Ortho-ortho of 4.8pc has generally been the highest level available in iron chelates, with many offering levels of 3-4pc, however Haifa Australia now offers an EDDHA iron chelate with an orthoortho level of 5.2pc. EDTA chelates are the most cost-effective and widely used, however EDTA iron also is the least stable in soils and should only be used where soil pH is up to 6-6.5. EDDHA iron chelates are suitable for soils up to 9 pH, while other iron chelates include DTPA, suitable for pH soils up to 7, and HBED, suitable for up to 12 pH soils. “The two-part message for growers is if you are putting out an iron EDTA to soil pH above 6-6.5, you are wasting your money because it becomes bound and precipitates and, therefore, unavailable to plants, so use an EDDHA iron chelate. And look at the ortho-ortho stability component, because the total iron percentage is not relevant,’’ Sheri said. “There is widespread potential for growers to improve crop production and quality through better iron use efficiency according to their soil pH. “Some almond growers who have since understood the importance of the orthoortho have said ‘wow, look at how green my almond trees are’, particularly when adding magnesium with the iron, which is helping the chlorophyll green-up the plants. Improving photosynthesis will improve performance.’’ She said sunlight was another important factor to consider when applying iron chelates because it could cause iron loss. “If possible, growers need to keep their tanks covered for its stability. You also need to be thinking of things like what you are using, keeping lids on containers, mixing it last and not under UV light.’’ In addition to iron chelates, Haifa Australia also now offers zinc and manganese EDTA chelates, as well as boron and molybdenum micronutrients, to help growers maximise their cropping performance. “Micronutrients are available within our stable of fertiliser products, however we now have the ability to bolster their supply. It gives growers flexibility to address the specific needs for their region,’’ Sheri said. “Instead of having to source micronutrients elsewhere, we can now supply the additional nutrition and also create specific micronutrient blends according to their regional requirements and cost-effectiveness. They could apply an NPK product and use a micronutrient blend that could include zinc and manganese EDTA chelates, and they could choose an iron chelate that suits their soil pH level.’’ She said while various EDTA chelating agents used a sodium attachment, Haifa Australia can offer EDTA chelates with more favourable potassium or nitrogen attachments. “ Sheri Robinson, Southern Agronomist with Haifa Australia, says growers need to be careful in choosing the correct iron chelate for their soil type. Haifa quality now available in micronutrients Haifa, renowned for supplying the highest quality water soluble fertilisers, is now offering the highest quality chelated micronutrients. This includes chelates with the highest stability, such as EDDHA iron with the strongest holding ability. Haifa also can supply specific micronutrient blends compatible with a wide range of fertilisers. Introducing the highest quality iron chelate with 5.2% ortho-ortho Haifa Micro Fe-EDDHA (6% Fe) Don’t waste time and money Choose the correct iron chelate for your soil pH and carefully check its analysis Strong new option for soluble chelates Click for further info Haifa Micronutrients Never miss an edition of DownUnder Click to receive editions straight to your inbox
9 8 Plenty to consider with fertiliser decisions IT’S that time of year again when budgets for the next nut tree crop growing season are being adjusted as the current harvest comes to a close – an exciting time, but also one tempered with the caution of what will the new season bring? The main requirements of water, power, bees and fertiliser do not change – or, more correctly, they change with the yield expectation. We cannot grow a great yield if we don’t have enough hives for pollination and we must fertilise and water to our expected yields. The idea of reducing fertiliser inputs or compromising nutrient quality may cross our minds, however is this really a good idea? Will it save money today but have an impact on the harvest in one to two years’ time? Fertiliser costs have also come back in price, so is it worth compromising fertiliser quality? As we know, when we have a lower yield, we have less fertiliser inputs required and yet also the ability to improve tree health to positively impact the following year’s yield. On the contrary, if you have a big crop and don’t supply enough nutrients, this will cause a low crop for the following year and possibly two. This is a result of using-up storage from the big crop load, most likely impacting leaf hold and tree health, preventing further nutrient storage. This points to leaf health at harvest being an important factor as a carbohydrate storage indicator. Is it possible the wide range of leaf health observed at harvest this year may have a consequence on tree storage levels and thus on future crops? The trick is to know your yield, which can be very hard to estimate. Looking at tree vigour, leaf health and supplying normal nutrient to tree demand during the season is the safest approach. Maintaining leaf health and then, once you know your yield at harvest, measuring up post-harvest applications By Sheri Robinson Southern Agronomist, Haifa Australia is the safest way to minimise inputs. This approach is supported in Dr Patrick Brown’s recent presentations to the Australian Almond Conference, showing proof that we need to match our applications to tree demand, and we may be wasting some inputs and spending precious dollars on excessive fertiliser applied post-harvest. The other factor is the considered use of ammonium or urea-based fertilisers. If applied in excess of plant requirement, these are the most likely cause of concern in soil acidification of the irrigated zone. Ensure you know your irrigation, fertigation water and soil pH in the irrigated zone to help manage the effects of your fertiliser choices. thus the cause of acidification effects. Potassium nitrate, if supplied to the demand of the tree, is the most efficient supply of potassium and nitrate due to the cation and anion counterbalance and, due to this efficient uptake, causes no acidity effect. Foliar application In some instances, plant nutrient uptake needs to be supported by foliar applications. Haifa also has a product called Multi-K Bonus, which contains mostly potassium nitrate with some phosphorus. The wetting agent in this product assists it to remain on the leaf and re-absorb at times of rewetting (for example, overnight). Multi-K Bonus can be applied at higher rates due to the lower risk of phytotoxicity resulting from the use of the wetting agent. The product also is designed to adjust a spray tank mix whilst supplying nutrients in a spray application. The high compatibility of Multi-K Bonus offers another option to provide trees with nutrition, especially for early-season applications when nut development is occurring. Ammonium or urea convert to nitrate for plant uptake in hours, or days in hot soils, while it can take weeks in cool soil. This nitrogen conversion contributes one hydrogen ion to soil acidification, and yet if the nitrate is not utilised by the tree, the acidification doubles due to the loss of the nitrate anion and thus another H+ ion is left in the soil/plant balance. Research shows that potassium and calcium uptake does not occur when soil nitrate levels are low and ammonium levels are high. Therefore, the ratio in soil solutions needs to be factored for ideal nutrient uptake. The management of fertiliser in cool, wet soils early in the season and post-harvest is a potential risk of oversupply, and Irrigations Another often overlooked issue is: Do fertilisers used have an impact on the irrigation infrastructure? Some products with high bicarbonates may react with calcium, magnesium or other impurities in the irrigation water and form complexes that will drop-out of solution and have the potential to block drippers. In the case of acidic water or soil, potassium bicarbonates will react with the hydrogen ions and create water and CO2 and, thus, have an alkalizing effect to the consequence of CO2 loss to the environment. This reaction makes knowing your soil pH very important or otherwise risk losing availability of calcium, magnesium or micro elements due to the liming effect. There are also risks in mixing potassium carbonate as incompatibilities (ie, with UAN) can cause hazardous reactions, releasing CO2 and ammonia into the atmosphere. This reaction is the same as lime causing losses of nitrogen, as it reacts to form ammonia. Looking at the fertiliser options, we must also consider their availability to the plants, as well as our ability to get them into solution. If we look at the table (see next page), we see that potassium carbonate is the most soluble and this explains the high potassium rates in liquid fertilisers. Potassium chloride (KCl) is also a soluble source, with potassium nitrate (PN) coming a very close third and sulphate of potash (SOP) coming a distant last. What does this mean on the farm? Potassium nitrate, being twice to three times more soluble than SOP, lower in sodium and more efficient in uptake, without any contribution The wetting agent in Haifa Bonus assists it to remain on the leaf and re-absorb at times of rewetting (for example, overnight). Multi-K Bonus can be applied at higher rates due to the lower risk of phytotoxicity resulting from the use of the wetting agent. to chloride, is the best fertiliser option. The solubility of the product has a direct impact on how we can supply the product – by using PN we can get more K in the irrigation water. Not only can we get more of the product in solution, we can do it in a timely fashion, and we must include the cost of labour and safety in trying to dissolve products – is it fast or slow? The idea of using water soluble fertilisers is to use a solution, not a suspension, and also to consider the final EC applied to the soil at the time of fertigation. A solution will only drop out if the temperature changes, however a suspension will drop out once agitation slows or stops. In this way, we must not see the stated solubilities as a target, but the upper end guide. A smart approach is to back off 10 per cent to allow for temperature changes (ie, 31.6g in 100mL at 20⁰C, aim for 28.4g/100mL).
10 11 Irrigation amount and timings affects the soil solution and, thus, the availability of nutrients to the plants. In well-draining soils of lower organic matter, careful application of fertilisers is essential to maximise efficiencies of fertiliser use. Leaching of fertilisers can occur during over-irrigation applications and soil moisture monitoring is therefore an important factor in management of nutritional programs. Checking soil, water and plant tissues for nutrients and pH, and tracking tree performance at multiple times of the year, and between different performing areas within a block, will give us a clear indication if fertiliser use and availability is optimised at the tree level. Remember, a positive nutritional leaf test does not always indicate the future indication of crop performance, as a balance will be found by the plant, so nutritional results need to be factored alongside canopy replacement wood and fruiting bud levels. Haifa NutriNet So, how do I get the right application over the right irrigation and the mix right? Haifa NutriNet is a program available from the Haifa website. It gives growers the ability to plug-in irrigation data and fertiliser data to come up with the correct application rates. Potassium carbonate, although highly soluble with no sodium or chloride, still requires the presence of nitrate to optimise uptake (or will it uptake other undesirable anions?), so it is not considered the best option early in the season, when nitrate may be scarce. It may have its place to adjust pH with very careful monitoring of soil pH effects and careful product handling (due to high risks to safety in mixing). Haifa would suggest Poly-Feed or careful, balanced NPK complex recipe feeding to maintain leaf health. Including micro elements is always the most efficient use of fertiliser. With good choices in fertiliser products, you maximise solubility, plant uptake and leaf health, and the price is justified in the performance of tree yields in the year of application, its ability to store carbohydrates, and, hence, future cropping. Fertiliser choices affect the soil acidity and balance of anion and cations of the nutrients in solution. Combined with irrigation strategies, it is essential we Potassium sources If we look at the advantages of the sources of potassium, we see that “apples are not apples”. K Source KCl (50% K) Agronomic Advantages • Relatively cheap • Highly soluble • Neutral in solution Agronomic Disadvantages • Reduces yield due to excessive Cl Ref Patrick Browns work • Chloride accumulation in soil K Source PN (38%) Agronomic Advantages • Highly soluble, best at 20C or more. • Wider compatibility to mix • Contains both nitrogen and potassium • Haifa makes low sodium potassium nitrate • The disassociation of the cation and anion allows a balanced absorption by plants, with no energy exertion • No residual chloride, carbonate or sulphate in the soil • Neutral – alkaline in solution 10% solution = 9.9pH 5% solution 6.5pH • No pH influence on soils due to balanced feed • Not waiting for increased nitrate: Ammonium ratio for availability in soil for efficient uptake of K Agronomic Disadvantages More expensive, yet plant efficiency is optimal due to nitrate counter ion Solubility in cold water K Source SOP (42%) Agronomic Advantages • Contains Sulphur and Potassium Agronomic Disadvantages • Not very soluble, time consuming to mix • Additional sulphate not required by the plant • Higher sodium commonly found in SOP • Acidic in solution 10% solution = 2-4pH K Source Potassium Carbonate Agronomic Advantages • Extremely soluble • The carbonate uses two hydrogen ions to make water and CO2 to adjust pH in acid soils • Carefully watch soil pH, as it will bind calcium and magnesium and have lime induced chlorosis effects due to micro element unavailability if used in 6.5pH plus soils Agronomic Disadvantages • 11.4pH in drippers may lead to reactions to calcium and magnesium in irrigation water, causing precipitations, leading to blocked drippers • CO2 emissions when it reacts with acid soil or water • Ammonia gas release/ loss if reacting with ammonium nitrate – similar to lime and ammonium reaction losses of 50% nitrogen can occur. • Reactive with ammonium or any acidic based formula, ie, can cause excessive foaming or ammonia and carbon dioxide loss if mixed with acids – hazardous to mix and safety precautions are essential K Source Potassium Thiosulphate Agronomic Advantages • Acidifying • In alkaline soils, the acidification caused by thiosulphate may be advantageous. Careful monitoring of soil pH in the drip zone is required Agronomic Disadvantages • In acid soils or in the situation of high ammonium-based fertilisers causing acidity, more acidity could be a problem K2CO3 KCI KN03 K2SO2 180 160 140 120 100 80 60 40 20 0 g/100mL solubility 0 20 40 60 80 13.25 7.33 11.11 14.79 18.2 21.29 31.66 63.9 105.5 111.5 117 109.9 127 140 169 Temperature degrees celcius POTASSIUM SOLUBILITY CHART meet crop demand to optimise yields without costs to irrigation equipment or long-term sustainability of soils. Nutritional testing is important to understand the interactions of fertiliser programs with tree uptake, yet a strong nutrition program is indicated by healthy trees with strong replacement wood and fruiting bud numbers. Click for further info Haifa Bonus Poly-Feed NutriNet
12 “In the same way, we can also hold plants at late notice, whereas from interstate they may have arrived and not been able to be planted.” The main selling period for the nursery is from November through to May, while in the months between the family also is busy growing their own celery crops. The nursery sources high quality vegetable seeds and seedlings can be ready for growers from about two weeks later for coriander and out to 10 weeks for leeks. Over the years, they have tried different potting mixes in the seedling trays, including peat moss, however pine bark has proved to offer the best ability to control the seedlings under the nursery conditions. The Guidottos undertake soil tests to monitor pH and once the seedling trays have been in the nursery for a day or two, they fertigate them with Haifa’s high quality Poly-Feed NPK fertiliser (19-19-19), sourced through Elders at Virginia, where the family has worked closely with Justin Nicol. Gino’s Nursery always striving to set up best vegie crops for growers THE Guidotto family’s Gino’s Nursery has become an institution in the vegetable crop industry throughout the Adelaide and surrounding areas and it is always seeking ways to ensure growers can plant the best seedlings to maximise their production. The nursery originally supplied seedlings of mainly iceberg lettuce before the brassica field crop range expanded to also include cauliflower, cabbage, Brussel sprouts, kale, cos lettuce, celery and leeks, while it also offers some hydroponic crop lines. The family has been steeped in the industry, with Gino’s father working on farms before he continued the lineage from 15 years of age, later developed the nursery under a partnership arrangement and then diversified with the business. Today, the business is a full family affair, with Gino’s sons, Ben and Fabian, taking the reins, while Gino’s brother also spends four days per week at the nursery and a nephew is assisting the operation as well. Being based locally always has been a key strength for the business over interstate suppliers. “There are a lot of advantages from us being local. A grower can ring up and we will have plants ready for them in 10 minutes. It could help them quickly get in and plant before rains come,” Ben said. “We have been using Poly-Feed for 20 years,” Ben said. “We previously used another brand of crystalline fertiliser, which was good, but it’s not as good as Poly-Feed. We had to use more of it compared with the Poly-Feed, even though the nutrient ratios were similar. “Haifa’s quality potassium nitrate provides for the higher quality.” The seedlings are irrigated every day using good quality bore water and are fertigated every second to third day. “Our standard feed is 500 grams of Poly-Feed per 400 square metres, equating to about 12 kilograms per hectare. We may need a double application at times,’’ Ben said. “We also could have three foliar applications of Poly Feed that might be applied with other trace element foliar products. “We do leaf testing once a month and we also do our own blends on the property with Poly-Feed. It’s all been compatible. We use a calcium chelate, zinc chelate as well as iron, magnesium and boron. “For lettuce seedlings over a six-week period, we are applying about 12.5kg of Poly-Feed per 400m2. “Different to the past, we now start slowly with the Poly-Feed early and ramp it up as the seedlings go out to the paddock, so it provides a good boost for growers. “They are not stalling when they get into the paddock and we can get them out a week earlier, so we are almost getting another seedling crop into the year.’’ Ben said they enjoyed and highly valued their family approach to the nursery business and they continued to receive fantastic feedback from local growers. “Growers appreciate the flexibility of supply to suit their programs and they say the plants are the best they have ever had,’’ he said. 13 Ben, Gino and Fabian Guidotto look over some of the finished broccoli seedlings from Gino’s Nursery at Virginia in SA with Haifa Australia Southern Agronomist Sheri Robinson. Ben takes Sheri through the family’s fertiliser applications and system used in the irrigation pump shed at Gino’s Nursery in Virginia SA. Pictured shows the excellent root development of the broccoli seedlings following fertigation with high quality fertilisers. Justin Nicol, Elders Virginia in SA, Sheri and Ben chat on the early growth stages of the broccoli seedlings. Click for further info Poly-Feed
14 Nutrigation program improves raspberry yield, quality AR UND THE WORLD SUCCESSFUL raspberry crops depend not only on yield amount, but also fruit quality, as postharvest behaviour of this soft fruit is a significant factor affecting growers’ revenue. A trial in Zamora, Michoacán state, Mexico, evaluating a Nutrigation program for raspberry using Poly-Feed and other water soluble fertilisers from Haifa achieved higher yield and improved fruit quality. The trial was undertaken in greenhouse soil and compared the use of Poly-Feed, Haifa Cal GG and Haifa Mag to the grower’s standard practice. Adequate supply of calcium during berry development helps produce firmer fruit with longer shelf life. Haifa Cal GG is a preferable source of calcium, as it contains nitrogen in the form of nitrate (NO3-), which enriches plant nutrition and improves the efficiency of calcium uptake. The benefits of Haifa’s Nutrigation program compared with the grower’s practice included: • Higher yield • Lower fertilisation cost • Better nutrient use efficiency • Better fruit quality (higher brix and firmness), which means higher rate of exportable fruits • Higher revenue for the grower – net profit increased by 8 per cent Poly-Feed 12-43-12 50 Poly-Feed 19-19-19 120 Poly-Feed 10-10-43 600 Haifa Cal GG 200 Haifa Mag 100 Phosphonitrate 150 Kg/ha N P2O5 K2O CaO MgO Grower’s practice 240 190 182 106 10 Haifa 180 110 287 53 16 Average yield (t/ha) Cost (US$/ha) Revenue* (US$/ha) ROI (US$/ha) Grower’s practice 9.1 6,331 48,230 Haifa 9.8 5,078 51,940 3,710 Results By Juan Manuel Diaz Martinez, Mexico Fertilisers used in Haifa Nutrigation program (kg/ha) * based on average box price of $5.32/kg Treatments FRoM Click for further info Haifa Cal GG Haifa Mag Farmer practice Haifa trial Poly-Feed
15 IN a soil greenhouse trial carried out in Liaoning province, China, Haifa treatment increased cucumber yield by 11.8 per cent, while the grower’s income was 9.1pc higher. The trial evaluated Haifa’s combined solution of controlled release fertiliser blend based on Multicote plus PolyFeed Stim Spark, compared with the grower’s practice. The blend was 18-07-18 (N coated 30 per cent plus Poly-Feed Stim SPARK, which combines mineral nutrition (NPK + micronutrients) and humate complex that improves root activity and nutrient uptake. Stabilising the soil pH, PolyFeed Stim SPARK ensures availability of necessary phosphorus and other elements – even in strongly acidic or alkaline soils. HAIFA Group is continuing its innovation journey with the expansion of its southern plant in Israel. CEO Motti Levin (pictured) said the expansion move, including establishing an ammonia production plant to avoid importing it, required extensive investment and would help to meet the growing global demand for the company’s products. “All this will be done using renewable energies and in compliance with our vision for implementing the concept of a ‘circular economy’ – an approach that strives for a sustainable economy and the prevention of waste and pollution by optimally using raw materials and/or energy in the production processes,’’ Motti said. “Ammonia is recognised as a green energy material and is a source of great pride for us. Simultaneously, a large solar field we are building will enable the supply of energy to produce ‘blue ammonia’. All this is part of the sustainable, environmental concept that characterises us.’’ - With The Marker Treatments Stage Application date Grower’s practice Haifa treatment Planting (base dressing) 22/2 17-17-17, 50 kg/mu CRF blend 18-7-18, 40 kg/mu Vegetative growth 15/3 12-61-0, 5 kg/mu SPARK 12-42-12, 5 kg/mu Flowering to fruit-set 22/3 12-61-0, 5 kg/mu 20-19-19, 2.5 kg/mu SPARK 12-42-12, 5 kg/mu SPARK 18-18-18, 2.5 kg/mu Fruit development 29/3 20-19-19, 7.5 kg/mu SPARK 18-18-18, 7.5 kg/mu 5/4 20-19-19, 10 kg/mu SPARK 18-18-18, 10 kg/mu 12/4 20-5-10, 3.5 kg/mu 0-52-34 6.5 kg/mu SPARK 18-18-18, 3.5 kg/mu SPARK 12-17-27, 6.5 kg/mu 19/4 20-5-10, 2.5 kg/mu 0-52-34 7.5 kg/mu SPARK 18-18-18, 2.5 kg/mu SPARK 12-17-27, 7.5 kg/mu Multicote, Poly-Feed Stim fertilisation improves cucumber yield Results Grower’s practice Haifa treatment Yield (kg/mu) 3546 3966 (+11.8%) Income (RMB/mu) 6664.8 7512 Fertilizer cost (RMB/mu) 1200 1550 Net profit (RMB/mu) 5464.8 5962 (+9.1%) Sustainable southern plant expansion Farmer practice Haifa trial By Red Zhang, Haifa China Click for further info Poly-Feed Stim
In uncertain times, there’s a quality and team you can trust… Haifa Australia (03) 9583 4691 australia@haifa-group.com www.haifa-group.com your Haifa AUSTRALIA team Trevor Dennis trevor.dennis@haifa-group.com 0400 119 852 Managing Director Sheri Robinson sheri.robinson@haifa-group.com 0428 686 264 Southern Sales Agronomist Peter Anderson peter.anderson@haifa-group.com 0459 488 850 Northern Sales Agronomist Jason Teng jason.teng@haifa-group.com 0488 036 528 Customer Service/Logistics CMYK Haifa has pioneered the use of potassium nitrate since the 1960s and steadfastly remains the leading source of the highest quality today. Entirely used by crops, with no residual remaining in soils or groundwater, Haifa’s potassium nitrate fertilisers provide application efficiencies and reduce the effects of chloride and sodium whilst enhancing crop quality and yields. As the world’s largest and only potassium nitrate supplier with an Australian office, growers can have confidence in their Haifa fertiliser applications and the support of a local team – that is for certain!
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