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July 2008 |
"Spring Starts Early!"With an average of 40 samples per day so far this month it is clear that anyone waiting for September to get out seeing clients and soil testing will well and truly Miss the Boat! The driving force behind this appears to be the extremely high prices for fertiliser. Growers in every region and every industry are desperate to control fertiliser costs this season and SWEP is the only laboratory that can help them. Overwhelmingly, growers are looking to soil improvement with Lime and Gypsum to help 'reclaim' some of the locked up nutrient from previous years and to use Organic fertilisers, composts and manure (now the 'cheap' option) to maintain their productivity. With your help and the expanded range of test from SWEP, they now have everything they need: Reclaiming the "Investment" of past years: Improving the structure and friability of soil offers substantial benefits in terms of sustained productivity and release of locked up nutrient. For years, fertiliser companies have been telling growers that they needed to include "Capital" amounts of nutrient in their fertiliser applications to help build fertility. Now they need to draw on that investment and you can help them by soil testing and focusing on the Cation Balance recommendations. Start early - well before any fertiliser is needed - if you are to make the most of this strategy. Harnessing the workforce in the soil: Interest in soil biology has been growing for some years now and yet SWEP is still the only laboratory in the World with a genuinely integrated approach to biological soil management. This year, growers will be insisting you justify every penny you want them to spend, so they may be reluctant to let you simply chuck in some 'Biologicals' simply because you say its a good idea. The Complete Soil Balance Analysis will show exactly what is needed for balanced soil biology - in small applications that follow any activity that could impose a 'Disturbance' on the soil ecosystem (such as fertiliser application, cultivation, etc.). Conversion to Organics: In the past, Organic and Biodynamic growers have been the butt of many jokes, but now they are among those that have been least impacted by our changed climatic conditions. This may well lead some to wonder if conversion to Organics may not be the answer for them as well. Previously, you may well have lost these clients as they moved to new sources of information and advice, but not now. The New Organic soil tests we have introduced have been vetted and approved by both BFA and NASAA. With our continued support, they will turn you into a genuine Organic adviser. Confidence in using Composts and Manures: One of the most popular of our new tests (even at this early stage) is the Organic Compost Analysis. This 6-page report includes both Total and Available nutrients, cations, pathogens and contaminants. It also provides guidelines for safe handling and for other additives (to be mixed in prior to application) for optimum efficacy. For more details of the new tests, please see the previous Agent Update. Send us you comments & suggestionsWe love to hear from you, so please let us know what you like, what we can do better, or what topics you would like to see more about. |
New Fact Sheet ReleasedTo help your customers get the most from their soil tests we have produced a new Fact Sheet - Guidelines for managing Plant Nutrients. All our Fact Sheets are available for FREE download from the SWEP website. Let us know if you need kitsDon't find yourself caught short when a customer asks for a soil test right after you have just used your last sample bag. Let us know when you need more supplies, and don't be afraid to ask for a few more than you need right now. Its better to have too many than not enough. Agent Update ArchiveAgent Updates are now archived on our website. Use this link if you are looking for a previous edition. |
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Our mailing address is: PO Box 583, Noble Park, VIC, 3174, Australia |
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