Dr Doug Edmeades: Making the most of your fertiliser

Fertiliser and lime account for about 20% of Farm Working Expenses on a typical New Zealand sheep and beef farm. Dr Doug Edmeades shares his advice on how to optimise that spend by monitoring soils, clovers and pastures, as well as considering the components of fertiliser and lime – not just the product as a whole. He discusses the importance of focussing on the weakest link (the most limiting nutrient) and he answers listeners’ questions. The topics covered include: the rise in potassium deficiency on sheep and beef farms; cost/benefit analyses of nutrient application; what phosphate retention means; economic optimums for soil fertility and pH, and how to apply them to different blocks in your farm; the benefits and unlikely risks of molybdenum; how lime works and how to use it effectively; and how we feed the all-important soil flora and fauna.