Mapleton Agri Biotec has been supplying microbial inoculums to Australian and international farmers for nearly 20 years.
“We take a pride in supplying high-grade inoculums made in Australia, and backed up by multiple formal trials,” says Mapleton Agri Biotec managing director Rob Bower.
“With urea prices likely to remain high for the foreseeable future many producers are looking for ways to reduce their nitrogen rate without incurring yield penalties.
“Our nitrogen fixing microbes fix N2 from the atmosphere into plant available NH3. This is delivered steadily right through the season and right into the plants.
“Crop nitrogen status is also improved by increased nitrogen use efficiency via the microbes. This is delivered by enhanced production of plant growth factors, particularly auxins, by the microbes which drives development of better secondary root structure and better capture of applied nitrogen fertiliser. Both these mechanisms are important.
“PastureN allows a 15–25% cut in N rates with high feed production and improved feed quality. Take a look at two trials, one on kikuyu and the other on rye grass, on our website (www.mabiotec.com).”
Application is by boomspray and PastureN is applied at the start of the growth season and once or twice more through the growing season.
Mr Bower said the product offers a good ROI, particularly with high nitrogen prices, and also earns a place in the pasture production product line-up with the improved feed quality effects (see trials).
NitroGuard is a sister product to PastureN and uses the same freeze-dried nitrogen fixing microbe technology. Mr Bower said tree and vine crop growers use NitroGuard to cut nitrogen fertiliser costs but also because delivery of part of the crop’s nitrogen needs via the steady NH3 supply from the microbes has positive effects on fruit quality.
“For tree and vine crop producers planting new areas, NitroGuard is applied on top of the usual N rates and is used to accelerate early growth. Speed to early yield and early revenue is a key goal of these growers.
“Take a look at the walnut trial on our website for an example of the clear growth acceleration of young trees from use of one of our early microbial products, TwinN.
“High nitrogen fertiliser prices are part of modern farming and use of microbial inoculums offer a good solution to this problem,” Mr Bower said.
