Measuring grass growth from one trial.
Many of us are just beginning to understand how soils [and soil fertility] truly work. The dominant model, developed 150
years ago by chemists in Germany has been popularised, used very widely and successfully. This model says: “You have a
soil that is deficient in nutrients. You are growing a plant that needs the nutrients to achieve full production.
Nutrients or fertilisers are applied to correct the imbalance. If you have multiple deficiencies, then you may apply a
cocktail of nutrients and fertilisers to address the balance”. Note that in this model the microbiological elements are
ignored. More nutrients and chemicals are applied. The soil biology gets hammered. More maintenance nutrients are
required - and so the costly circle continues.
The problem with this model is that it is deficient. It misses the critical component of soil microbiology. This has
been substantially invisible until recently, when we have had a new tool, DNA to aid study. When you start to look at
the interaction of soil microbiology, it has been a largely invisible third party in agriculture. In forestry it has
long been known that nutrient deficiencies in plants can be solved by micro biology. Pine trees need mycorrhizal fungi.
Without the fungi, the Pine tree doesn’t grow.
What we now have come to understand is that there is a three way system:.Plants and their nutrient requirements,Soil with its nutrient supply capabilities andSoil Microbes
The more we understand the more we come to see that soil microbes play a far more critical role than we previously
thought.
To get maximum production requires thinking about how you influence the soil microbiology and how that affects your
production system. One way to do this is to putting carbon into the roots which is like currency you pay the soil
microbes with. Provide them with energy and they will provide water and nutrients.
So much of what we have done in the past has been to short circuit the process – it’s like using anabolic steroids to
chuck the javelin down the track. Generally, we are farming on steroids on the old model (and degrading the soil
microbes) rather than farming naturally.
An increasing number of farmers are starting to understand that microbiological activity in the soils should be
encouraged to ensure healthy soils and improved plant growth. The challenge is to find the right tools and processes
that can stimulate growth in a cost effective way while maintaining the environment and cost.
A New Zealand farmer has taken an additional concept that has its roots from the 1930’s, developed it for NZ conditions
over the past ten years, and is providing it to farmers throughout the country with HydroBoost. In a nutshell,
HydroBoost technology stimulates soil microbiology by energisation and altering ionic potentials in the soils soil water
supply and this drives growth.
An independent scientific assessment of Hydroboost technology showed a 19% increase in pasture growth using energised
water compared with non energised water. While research is ongoing the evidence so far shows Hydroboost increases in
pasture growth at a minimal cost. It may also provide addition benefits such as increasing pasture energy in sugar
content (brix value).
The increase in plant growth is not as a result of any increase of water – the large field trial used the same volume of
water, therefore the results show that the energised water clearly provides a positive result. Other farmers
commercially using the HydroBoost technology have reported that applied water volume can reduced, thus improving water
efficiency and ensuing justifiable irrigation.
In another trial in the McKenzie Country with unfertilised low fertility native pasture a single application of
Hydroboost gave an improvement of 7% grass The scientist running the trial commented ‘If a single application of energised water increased pasture yield by 7% after two years, this would be of commercial
interest to farmers and merits further investigation’.
The farmers that have installed the HydroBoost technology have reported very good results. In addition to improving
pasture growth, the energised water tends to stay in the root zone. A Hydroboost in-house trial recorded smoothing out
of soil temperature variations. Not only has this lead to better growing conditions in the shoulder parts of the
irrigation season, it has also enabled a reduction in applied water which may reduce leaching.Small Hydroboost on Stock Water feed.
While there are a number of unexplained benefits, (and current research is continuing, there is preliminary evidence
from another trial demonstrating up to a 29% increase in pasture growth when the Hydroboost water was mixed with Urea
over the application of Urea without energised water, though results were variable.
From a wider perspective, farmers are being challenged by regulation and compliance to reduce their chemical exposure to
the environment. In farms where the HydroBoost technology has been implemented, farmers know that the water feeding the
stock troughs is energised, leading to reduced health issues with stock, the grass eaten has a higher brix value and in
the case of dairy, reduced incidence of high Somatic cell counts. When the incremental benefits are spliced together,
the overall result is that agricultural products are is being produced more efficiently, in harmony with the environment
and guess what – that also translates potentially less harmful chemicals into the food supply.
As well as improved pasture growth, the technology has also been used to clean irrigation ponds with visible benefits
and one farmer commenting on the results from cleaning a 4ha storage pond saying, “In the past, no-one would be brave enough to swim in it – now with the technology applied to the pond, children will now
swim in it”.
While the HydroBoost product is not the magic bullet that rights all wrongs in the environment, the evidence shows the
technology could be a significant tool that can improve productivity with less harmful effects on the environment.
Surely, as our social awareness evolves with a greater focus being demanded by the planets inhabitants on sustainable
agricultural products and processes, the HydroBoost technology is one which can greatly help farmers productivity,
profitability and peace of mind.