There is an Alternative to Dcd for Farmers

Media Release
30 January 2013

There is an Alternative to Dcd for Farmers

Donaghys sympathises with farmers and the rural community who will feel the impact of the suspended use of nitrification inhibitors (DCD) as a pasture management tool, but says the good news is that there is another option that is DCD free.

Jeremy Silva, Managing Director of Donaghys Ltd says the ruling on January 24th to suspend the use of DCD*, provides farmers with the ideal opportunity to consider alternatives and reassess their pasture management tools.

“Our LessN product contains no DCD. It is a nitrogen utilisation enhancer in liquid form which is mixed with dissolved urea and sprayed onto pasture. It has been internationally trialled in 284 pasture and crop trials including 43 independent universities and organisations”.

The development of LessN involved the largest nitrogen fertiliser response research on pasture in the country since 1981.

Containing no chemical components of DCD, LessN instead contains extracts from several groups of common microbes in the soil. These are naturally occurring microbes and are found everywhere in the soil regardless of whether LessN is used or not.

“On a conservative basis, more than quarter of a million tonnes less nitrogen fertiliser could be used per annum with no compromise to production if every dairy farmer in New Zealand adopted the LessN system.

“This is a well proven product and we are pleased to be able to offer farmers a viable option. The trials show LessN doubles the pasture response of a 40kg per hectare application of urea whilst also providing considerable cost savings.

“It costs a farmer 12 cents per kg of dry matter grown self-applying the LessN system instead of costing 18 cents per kg using contractor-applied spread urea. That’s a saving of $30,000 based on 10 applications on a 130ha farm.” concludes Silva.

*(DCD was added to an international list of substances that must be tested by organisations such as the United States Food and Drug Administration).

ENDS

Established in 1876 with agriculture as its core business, Donaghys is a leading New Zealand owned manufacturer of innovative and reliable products that provide effective solutions for rural, aquaculture, marine and industrial markets internationally.

© Scoop Media