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Rick Colless Consulting

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25.01.2022 SULPHUR - the ultimate team player In this post we are discussing the role of sulphur in the team of 17 essential plant nutrients, and sulphur is considered to be the ultimate team player. Sulphur does not hold the limelight like nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium identified as NPK on many fertiliser labels but sulphur (chemical symbol S) plays a role in nearly every aspect of plant nutrition, so it is essential we have a full understanding of how this important nutrien...Continue reading

24.01.2022 PHOSPHORUS one of the most important nutrients In previous posts on this forum we have discussed how soil is formed, the important role that carbon plays in the soil and the major nutrients in the functioning of the soil. It is important that we have an understanding of those issues to fully appreciate how the major plant nutrients exist in the soil and how they are able to be taken up by the plants we wish to grow in our farms, vineyards, orchards and gardens. Those nutri...Continue reading

16.01.2022 NITROGEN - the chameleon of all nutrients There has been enormous publicity given to nitrogen fertiliser in the previous couple of weeks, and all for the wrong reasons. I am referring to the explosion of ammonium nitrate in Beirut during the first week of August, killing over 150 people, injuring thousands and leaving hundreds of thousands of people homeless. Ammonium nitrate does not just explode by itself it needs to be mixed with other compounds and also needs a signifi...Continue reading

05.01.2022 Checking the root structure and development in a vigorous barley crop with grower Stuart McDonald and BioAg agronomist, Rob Gill. The canola in the second photo is in early flowering and enjoying being well fed and watered!

03.01.2022 TRACE ELEMENTS small amounts but powerful outcomes There are at least eight essential plant nutrients that are classified as trace elements or micro-nutrients, as they are only required in very small amounts when compared to other nutrients. These nutrients are boron (B), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), molybdenum (Mo), chlorine (Cl) and cobalt (Co). Selenium (Se) is also an essential nutrient in animal health, but is not known to play a part in plant nu...trition. Cobalt has not been shown to benefit all plants, but certainly has a role to play in some crops such as potatoes, tomatoes, beet and cabbage and is also important for proper nodulation of legumes. It is also well known as an essential nutrient for animal health. The fact that these nutrients are only required in small amounts does not suggest they are not as important as the major nutrients. It is equally important to have the correct concentrations of trace elements in the soil to ensure optimum productivity in all our crops and gardens. Most Australian soils are adequately supplied with chlorine and cobalt, while the vast majority of soils I have tested over the years show deficiencies of one or more of boron, zinc and copper. In some areas such as the Northern Tablelands it is common for molybdenum and selenium to be deficient, and I suspect that molybdenum deficiency is more widespread than most people realise. These two nutrients are only required in minute amounts in the soil and are very difficult and expensive to test for accurately, so in the case of molybdenum it is good practice to coat any legume seed with Mo when sowing these crops. Selenium is almost undetectable in the soil, but is an essential nutrient for proper muscle development in animals. The disease white muscle disease in sheep, goats and cattle is not uncommon across the Northern Tablelands, Southern Tablelands and Monaro particularly in seasons such as we are having now, when abundant spring growth may not pick up enough selenium to meet the animal’s needs. The bandwidth of selenium in fodder is quite narrow, despite the small amounts required. At least 0.3 ppm is required in dry matter to satisfy the animal’s requirements, but just 5.0 ppm in dry matter can induce selenium toxicity in cattle. I have prepared a table that gives an indication of the required soil levels, actual soil levels recorded from over 2,000 soil analyses from around NSW and South Australia, typical deficiency and toxicity symptoms and fertilisers required to satisfy deficiencies. Before using any of these fertilisers you should first obtain precise recommendations from your agronomist or reseller, as over application of some trace elements can result in toxic responses. Next time in this post we will discuss the seasonal conditions we are experiencing at present and options for decision making for the coming summer season and next year’s winter season. See more