A study by National Centre for Engineering in Agriculture, University of Southern Qld, Liddle and Sons.

... the future in fertilisingLiquid is...

KEY FINDINGS

Improved emergence with the liquid fertiliser formulation at planting was observed at the trial sites, while shoot initiation and emergence was delayed with the granular formulation not reaching the shoot count until after 60 days.

No evidence the liquid formulations were more prone to nitrate leaching than granular formulations in the glasshouse leaching trial. In fact, the practice of applying a high concentration of N, P (as di-ammonium phosphate) and K fertiliser in the second liquid formulation may utilise the immobilising effect of molasses to minimise N leaching, and the greater capacity of tillering plant cane to absorb nutrients.

• 98% faster emergence with 24.8 plants on liquid v 12.5 plants on granules

• 52% greater shoot length with 488mm on liquid and 322m on granules (after 40 days)

• 23% less nitrogen leaching with 34% using PlantStarter and using 57% granules

• 7% more tones of cane (96.57 v 90.02) per hectare

• 8% more tones of sugar (14.21 v 13.10) per hectare

ABOUT THE FIELD TRIAL

NCEA conducted glasshouse soil column leaching trials and outdoor pot trials on plant cane at three different trial sites. The purpose was to compare the performance of liquid fertiliser after 12 weeks, with split applications of ‘district practice’ granular fertiliser formulations.

To prove faster strike rate of cane when liquid alternate is use

Compare susceptibility to leaching (N, P, K) and volatilisation after soil application

To assess whether the P & K applied in the liquid formulation at planting, is sufficient to sustain growth during the first 12 weeks of planting

To dispel concerns liquid formulations are more prone to leaching

To demonstrate that sugar yield is unaffected and is in fact improved from using liquid fertilisers

LIQUID IS... ...THE FUTURE IN FERTILISING

CALL 07 4776 5711 OR VISIT LIDDLES.COM.AU

BACKGROUND

Liddle and Sons has long held the belief that liquid fertilisers are the way of the future and as Australian farmers continue to look at new products and innovation to improve crop quality and produce higher yields, so too does this specialist local North Queensland business.

Over the last 14 years, this family owned business in Ingham has continued to innovate bringing new tailored fertiliser products to cane growers, however, scepticism still remains over whether liquid v’s granular is the better option.

These beliefs prompted Liddles and Sons to put their own product to the test, commissioning an independent research report, which took 12 months to complete. The report - Liquid Fertilisers for Plant Care - was produced by the National Centre for Engineering in Agriculture (NCEA) in conjunction with the University of Southern Queensland.

KEY OBJECTIVES

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RESULTS PROVEN FASTER STRIKE RATE

The application of liquid fertiliser greatly increased strike rate in the initial stages of planting, due to the plant available P, ZN and the higher concentration of N. The high muriate of potash content (KCI) in the granular formulation inhibited nitrification, slowing the release of nitrate, while the plant-available P diffused from the granular band at a much slower rate.

This delay in emergence also affected establishment, with shoot length for the liquid fertiliser treatments at the Herbert GMO site significantly greater 40 days after planting.

REDUCED LEACHING

Soil from one of three trial sites was selected for the glasshouse leaching trial to compare the fate of N, P and K in commercial fertilisers applied in liquid and granular formulations on Day One and 18 weeks later. Research found that contrary to grower perception, the risk of nitrate leaching was greatest for the granular fertiliser treatments at the trial sites, even taking into consideration sub surface banding. In fact, the report, indicates the inclusion of PlantStarter, with molasses in the second formulation BigShot, aids the microbial slow release of fertiliser N.

To discover how much N could be lost with Liquid PlantStarter, the leaching trial increased application by 2.4 times the recommended rate. Even with 2.4 times the recommended rate PlantStarter was still far less than granules with 34% leaching compared with 57%.

SUGAR YIELDS

Harvest yield data from the Herbert Di Bartolo and GMO field trials for stalk weight and CCS were the same for the liquid and granular treatments. These results indicate the lower concentration of N, P and K in PlantStarter is sufficient to maintain enough residual fertiliser within the rooting zone to meet plant cane demand for growth for the first 12 weeks before fertiliser is re-applied.

The study showed that the average tones cane cut per hectre were 96.57 v 90.02 with granules. Tons of sugar 14.21 v 13.10. greater tonnage of sugar by hectare, great tonnes of cane per hectare, greater sugar content per hectare

52% greater shoot length with 488mm on liquid and 322m on granules (after 40 days)

98% faster emergence with 24.8 plants on liquid v 12.5 plants on granules

8% more tones of sugar (14.21 v 13.10) per hectare

7% more tones of cane (96.57 v 90.02) per hectare

23% less nitrogen leaching with 34% using PlantStarter and using 57% granules

AUTHORS

1 National Centre for Engineering in Agriculture, University of Southern QLD 2 Liddle & Sons Agricultural Services, Ingham QLD 3 Farmacist, Mackay QLD 4 Tully Sugar, Tully QLD 5 Herbert Cane Productivity Board, Ingham QLD.

Pam.Pittaway@usq.edu.au

Emergence is faster at the GMO block if the Plant Starter Liquid formulation is used. Mean emergence for Liquid treatments was 24.8 plants, and for granular treatments 12.5 plants (one way ANOVAP=0.019)

However, at 40 days after planting shoot lenght in the Liquid formulation fertiliser treatment was significantly larger than for the granular fertiliser treatment (median shoot lengths of 488mm and 322mm respectively, P < 0.001

Liquid 20DAPGranular 20DAP

Liquid 40DAPGranular 40DAP

50

100

40

80

30

60

20

40

10

20

0

0

Emer

genc

e C

ount

s at

20D

AP

Emer

genc

e C

ount

s at

40D

AP

Row replicates GMO block

rep 1L rep 2L rep 3Lrep 1R rep 2R rep 3R

Liquid 20DAPGranular 20DAP

Liquid 40DAPGranular 40DAP

500

160

140

400

120

100

300

80

60

200

40

20

0

100

600

0

Med

ian

shoo

t len

gth

(mm

)A

vera

ge s

hoot

leng

th (

mm

)

rep 1R rep 2R rep 3Rrep 1L rep 2L rep 3L

Mineral N (org N) Mineral N (org N)

Liquid Fertiliser Granular Fertiliser

Fertiliser1 wk1 (mg/column)

954398*

533

Fertiliser2 13 (mg/column)

2657 1860

Retained in soil 23% (51%)

32% (58%)

Leached from soil 34% 57%

Summary

tC/ha CCS tS/ha

Liquid T1 R1

T1 R2

T1 R3

Average

89.33

111.04

89.33

96.57

14.50

14.90

14.70

14.70

12.95

16.54

13.13

14.21

Solid T2 R1

T2R2

T2R3

Average

69.86

94.01

106.18

90.02

14.70

14.50

14.50

14.57

10.27

13.63

15.39

13.10

LIQUID IS... ...THE FUTURE IN FERTILISING

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