Fert cooperatives chided over research "horse"

Fert cooperatives chided over under funded research “horse”

Fertiliser co-operatives need to put science ahead of sales before launching products that may confuse or even mislead their shareholders. Soil scientist and consultant Dr Doug Edmeades has chided fertiliser cooperatives for their “unseemly haste” to get products to market ahead of scientific trial results.

Dr Edmeades’ latest concern comes from trail results from Crop and Food Research conducted on Summit Quinphos’ product SustaiN. Summit Quinphos is a wholly owned subsidiary of Balance AgriNutrients Ltd.

Launched several years ago, SustaiN was promoted as a urea product that did not experience the same nitrogen losses to the atmosphere (volatilisation) as traditional urea. However the research results showed that over typical application rates SustaiN was no better than standard urea.

“These results should have come as no surprise. It has been known for over 20 years that when applied at normal rates very little volatilisation occurs with urea,” says Dr Edmeades. Nevertheless the claims that accompanied the launch of SustaiN have only muddied the waters and created confusion among farmers at a time when all fertiliser costs are under intense scrutiny.

SustaiN was not an isolated instance of putting the sales cart before the science horse, said Dr Edmeades.

“Other recent experience examples include EcoN, the nitrification inhibitor launched several years ago by Ravensdown. Contrary to company claims, this product has very little effect on pasture production. Earlier, Reactive Phosphate Rock (RPR), was marketed on the basis that it was as good as super. Subsequent research proved that this was not the case.

Dr Edmeades said he could understand fertiliser merchants operating at the “fringe” of the industry pushing product without sound scientific basis.

“However it is hard to fathom when products are being promoted by co-operatives which do have responsibilities to their shareholders, and to delivering science based products to increase farmers’ net profit, not just their costs.”

It was not all brickbats for the industry however. Dr Edmeades had a bouquet for a product he was recently asked to review the research on. Marketed as ProGibb from NuFarm, the plant growth formulation proved to boost pasture growth by an average of 36%, ranging from 12% to 62%.

“I was particularly impressed at the standard of trial work that had been carried out throughout New Zealand, across a wide range of climatic conditions.” With 38 trials over three years the product had been well proven before release. He believed such thoroughness was increasingly rare in commercial trials.

The important difference compared to products like SustaiN was that ProGibb was a plant growth promotant, not a fertiliser.

“Application times with ProGibb are also critical. However it restores some of my faith in commercial morality when I see such a well researched product then being put to market.

“Too many companies have put things the other way around. Often the marketing cart goes well ahead of an under funded research horse.”

To learn more about the latest developments in fertiliser research and advice, feel free to view Dr Edmeades’ Fertiliser Review, Autumn 2009 issue at www.agknowledge.co.nz or contact Dr Edmeades (07) 834 0316

ENDS

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