We hope you have managed to make it through what has been a long and challenging winter relatively unscathed. The ongoing wet conditions combined with rising costs and global volatility is certainly adding to the challenges of farming and business in general.
On a positive note farm commodity prices are strong and with managed costs there is some great potential in the market.
At Dickie Direct the last 6-12 months while challenging have also been a great opportunity for us to look closer at the factors we can control within our business and what we can do to make yours and our business stronger both now and in the years to come. As a result we are going into this Spring with a larger focus on three key areas:
- Relationships
- Growing Our Team
- Product Innovation and Development
Working closer with your Dickie Direct Area Manager
Relationships have always been the backbone of Dickie Direct, whether it is with our clients, our global suppliers or the local businesses we work with to ensure you are receiving the best products and service.
With current pricing and volatility, relationships and the efficient sharing of ideas and information have become more important than ever. It has been great seeing our team working alongside their clients to ensure no stone is left unturned when it comes to finding every last bit of efficiency. Some common ideas and topics of discussion have been:
- pH – A low pH is one of the most common and largest limitations to farm and nutrient response and returns. With high fertiliser prices now is a great time to be focusing on your pH, unlocking both existing nutrients in your soil and ensuring you are getting full efficiency of applied nutrients while looking after stock health and performance.
- The right product – Large changes in prices have lead to different products becoming more efficient options. Our Area Managers are here to inform you which products are the most efficient in meeting your nutrient and production requirements.
- Hybrid Nutrients – At Dickie Direct we are firm believers in combining fast and slow releasing nutrient forms to enhance short, medium and long term responses. Water soluble nutrients will meet short term production requirements, while non-water soluble nutrients will lengthen response times and in many soil types be more efficient at building capital nutrient levels.
- Soil Biology – Incorporating biological enhancers in with key nutrients to ensure the soil can efficiently mineralise and uptake applied and existing nutrients. Biological additives have the ability to significantly enhance nutrient efficiency and farm production. At Dickie Direct we have a range of Biological Enhancers that can be easily and efficiently blended in with your fertiliser applications.
- Soil Testing – Soil testing more frequently and using these up to date soil tests to be more targeted with the nutrients that are being applied.
- Targeted Applications – Looking at the returns from different classes of land and targeting the more productive and profitable land with fertiliser applications.
- Sulphur – Many clients are deciding to reduce phosphate applications as a result of current costs. While this is not a long term solution for those of you with above optimum P levels this is a great way to reduce costs without impacting production for a year. However, a key consideration is that often with these phosphate applications comes your maintenance sulphur. Reducing or cutting Phosphate for a year may not impact short term production but for a large portion of NZ soils a lack of sulphur will certainly show. Sulphur is a relatively cheap nutrient and can be mixed in with nitrogen and lime applications.
- Global Pricing and Trends – Keeping up to date with global prices and trends and using this information to come up with more efficient longer term fertiliser plans.
New Team Members
Introducing Jaymee Smith
We are very pleased to have Jaymee Smith joining our team as our Western Waikato and King Country Area Manager.
Jaymee is born and bred in the Waikato and now lives in Otorohanga. After receiving a certificate of Ag from Taratahi, Jaymee then received a scholarship from the Central North Island Dairy Academy where she undertook a Diploma in Ag. Jaymee spent the next 5 years working her way up to Assistant Manager dairy farming mainly in the Aria area. After suffering a sporting injury Jaymee moved to Farm Source in Otorohanga where she spent 2.5 years.
Jaymee brings to Dickie Direct a great deal of both practical experience and product knowledge. For those of you in the Western Waikato and King Country Areas Jaymee looks forward to getting out and meeting you on farm. In the meantime if you would like to get in touch with Jaymee please find her contact details below.
Phone: 027 430 8002
Email: Jaymee@dickiedirect.co.nz
Product Innovation
Improve your N response and reduce your N costs with Liquid Ammo 27
We have now had a large number of new and existing clients substitute their solid fertiliser applications or alternate liquid applications for Liquid Ammo 27. We have been receiving exceptional feedback and data back on this product with these clients not only increasing production but also saving on costs all while reducing their N input.
With current high fertiliser prices we felt the time was right to invest in the products and infrastructure required to make a high analysis liquid Nitrogen and Sulphate product that contains Biological Enhancers.
The aim in developing this product was to come up with an easy to apply liquid product that can improve N efficiency and reduce N costs while also enhancing and feeding soil biology.
At Dickie Direct we recommend using Liquid Ammo27 in any of the below circumstances:
- Throughout the cooler months when solid nitrogen forms have often lost efficiency due to decreased biological activity in the soil.
- In periods of higher nitrogen fertiliser costs – Application costs of liquid N tend to be higher compared to solid forms. However, the increased efficiency of liquid N compared to solid N will outweigh the higher application costs, especially in periods of higher fertiliser costs.
- In instances when there is a sprayer going over a crop/pasture. Liquid Ammo27 will enhance the uptake and efficiency of other chemicals while also offering an efficient nitrogen response and biological boost to the soil and plant.
- When there is a need to reduce nitrogen inputs. Applying nitrogen to the leaf alongside biological enhancers will increase the N efficiency and therefore reduce the amount of N that needs to be applied.
- When sulphur is a limiting factor to nitrogen response. This is generally in cooler/wetter periods when available Sulphate has been leached and the soil is not efficiently mineralising organic sulphur into plant available sulphate.
Summary
Our team look forward to working closely with you this Spring. We have the products, knowledge and ideas to help you maximise production and returns while keeping increased costs under control.
Please contact your area manager below to arrange an on farm visit.
Regards
Charles Dickie and the Dickie Direct team