Fertiliser in focus on the south coast

Best practice fertiliser use was top of the agenda at a recent agronomist workshop in Albany on Western Australia’s south coast.

The successful workshop focused on providing attendees with the best available fertiliser advice, enabling them to then feed this information back to farmers in an effort to help them increase production while protecting regional waterways.

Attendees at the agronomist workshop

Information shared during the half-day workshop included:

  • Slow-release phosphate fertiliser
  • Environmental impacts of fertiliser run-off
  • Links between soil and water quality
  • Fertiliser trials under the Regional Estuaries Initiative (REI) and uPtake programs
  • Changes to Fertcare® accreditation
  • The new Fertcare soil sampling guide
  • Evidence-based decision-making in agriculture.

Presenters included Department of Water and Environmental Regulation (DWER) South West District Manager, Kath Lynch; Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) Whole Farm Nutrient Mapping Principal Research Scientist, David Weaver; CSBP Senior Agronomist, Luke Dawson; Fertilizer Australia Fertcare Project Manager, Jeff Kraak; and independent agronomist, Graham Mussell.

Jeff Kraak said the workshop was a great opportunity for agronomists to gain information that will assist them to provide fertiliser recommendations that result in increased nutrient use efficiency for farmers and improved water quality outcomes.

“Objective measures like soil and plant testing should be the basis for lime and fertiliser recommendations,” Mr Kraak said.

“Fertcare welcomes the opportunity this workshop provided to encourage agronomists to base their advice to farmers on the available science.”

The workshop was organised as a part of the uPtake project, jointly funded by REI and the Australian Government’s National Landcare Program.

Senior Agronomist Luke Dawson said CSBP was proud to be a partner in the uPtake project with DWER and DPIRD.

“This project allows us all to work together to create a more sustainable agricultural industry with aims of maximising growers’ production and returns while also protecting the environment and our waterways,” he said.

“By following the Fertcare principles of Right Product, Right Place, Right Rate and Right Time, the uPtake project will allow us to develop and improve our current fertiliser management around vulnerable waterways.”

Jeff Kraak presenting at the agronomist workshop