Complete Grass Cover and useful Grazing Pasture within months of applying NatraMin
Product Range: NatraMin Cal-S
Region: Ulmarra (near Grafton), NSW
Having a comparison on his own property meant that Ken Passlow of Ulmarra (near Grafton) was able to see the difference that NatraMin made in his soil, as well as his Lucerne and Millet crops.
Ken first heard how NatraMin could soften the soil in 2003 and with one non-productive paddock that was bordering on ‘acid-sulphate’, he made the decision to see if NatraMin Cal-S would make a difference.
Bare patches dominated the pasture in this paddock and the lack of grass cover meant very little production. Cultivation of this area resulted in ‘bricks of soil’ that wouldn’t break down. Initially, AgSolutions Field Advisor, Roger Newman took soil tests that confirmed low soil pH and elevated levels of Sodium and Sulphur.
Ken reports on the results: “Within 4-5 months of applying NatraMin, we had complete grass cover and were grazing a useful pasture.”
A more recent example is in cultivation where Lucerne is grown using NatraMin as the only input. Where NatraMin was applied there was a noticeable difference with Lucerne lasting for over 4 years while as a comparison, Lucerne grown in another paddock under the old Super Phosphate and Lime program struggled to make 2 or 3 years.
Like many, the recent floods took their toll on Ken’s flats, however it also provided an opportunity to see the benefits of using NatraMin. Two out of three paddocks had a 3 year history of NatraMin and as a comparison, the third paddock has never had NatraMin applied.
To quickly fill the feed gap when the flood wiped out his Lucerne, Ken planted Millet in these three paddocks using the same seed and starter fertiliser.
In 4 weeks, the two paddocks with a NatraMin history were 8 inches high, were ready to be grazed and were fed off four times at 10-day intervals. In comparison, the paddock without NatraMin was only 2 inches high after 4 weeks and ended up only being grazed once during summer.
We’re simply amazed at the result of NatraMin and recommend others to use it, particularly those areas that have soil problems after the floods. I used to wonder if I could afford to use NatraMin but now it’s a matter of I can’t afford not to. We now budget to do the whole farm every year.”