Broadacre Brilliance – The Best $15 You Will Ever Invest!

NTS has perfected low cost, high performance programs for dryland grain and legume crops in Australia. We have specialised in delivering the best possible outcome for the smallest investment. The NTS Broadacre Program involves three components, including:

1. The inclusion of humic acid with all dry, granular NPK fertilisers.
2. A two-part seed treatment involving mineral and microbial components.
3. A foliar program, which includes plant growth stimulants and key, missing micronutrients.

Why The Program Works

There are several reasons why these inputs are included in this program and this includes a synergistic response, where the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. The logic for using these particular bio-fertilisers is as follows:

1) NTS Soluble Humate Granules™ are combined with dry NPK fertilisers at the rate of 3 – 5 kg per hectare. Humic acid has been well researched and it has been shown to stabilise and magnify fertilisers while simultaneously stimulating beneficial soil-life and improving soil structure. Humic acid offers the following benefits:

• The uptake of fertilisers is increased by up to 30% through a phenomenon called cell sensitisation (increased membrane permeability).
• The creatures that are lacking in most soils are beneficial fungi, which build humus and protect from disease. Humic acid is the most powerful known stimulant of beneficial fungi.
• Humic acid promotes crumb structure and improves soil structure.
• Humic acid buffers salt and acid fertilisers, while helping to detox contaminants.

2) Seed-Start™ is a proven liquid seed treatment, which supplies a suite of nutrients to boost germination and kick-start the seedling. Amino acids, natural hormones, bio-stimulants and key minerals are combined to create a positive environment for the young plant to flourish.

The second part of this seed treatment involves a combination of powerful beneficial fungi, which includes several strains of mycorrhizal fungi. These creatures, also known as AMF, are missing in most soils. They are responsible for building 30% of the humus in our soils and they also mine minerals, balance negative biology and deliver immobile minerals like phosphorus and zinc to the plant. A second group of organisms, called Trichoderma, are also included in a living starter fertiliser, called Nutri-Life Platform®. Trichoderma are bio-balancing fungi, which also create humus, boost root growth, solubilise locked-up phosphate and elicit plant resilience.

3) A foliar fertiliser involving a combination of soluble fulvic acid and kelp powder should be used twice per season. Fulvic acid is a multi-function wonder and kelp also offers multiple benefits. These plant growth enhancers are combined with triacontanol, another remarkable, natural growth promoter that boosts photosynthesis. This foliar combination is used at the five-leaf stage and again just before flowering. The second spray (just before flowering) is combined with boron, a mineral that improves reproductive performance.

Application Details for the NTS Broadacre Program

1. NTS Soluble Humate Granules™ are combined with granular fertilisers at a rate of 3 – 5 kg per hectare. This application can essentially be free-of-cost, because growers are able to reduce their conventional fertilisers to cover most or in some cases all of the cost of the humate inclusion. The humate granules are mixed evenly with the granular fertiliser by manually combining the humates with the fertiliser as it is is entering the fertiliser box or planter.

2. 5 L of Seed-Start™ is applied to every 1 tonne of seed. This can be diluted with 5 L of water to ensure good seed coverage. This liquid is often sprayed on to the seed with a backpack sprayer while it is on the auger. Alternatively, it can be mixed with the seed in a concrete mixer. Nutri-Life Platform® is blended with the liquid at the rate of 50 g per hectare, (up to 1 kg/tonne) before it is applied to the seed.

3. At five weeks, the first of two foliar sprays involves 200 g of NTS Stimulate™ in a minimum 100 L of water per hectare. Nutri-Stim Triacontanol™ should also be included in this solution at 40 mL per hectare. Just prior to flowering, a second spray should again involve 200 g of NTS Stimulate™ in a minimum 100 L of water, with 40 mL of Nutri-Stim Triacontanol™ per hectare. However, this time it would be a good strategy to add 700 g of Solubor (soluble boron powder) per hectare to the solution, to boost flowering and seed set.

Please contact your local distributor if you have any queries about the NTS Broadacre Program. Alternatively, you can speak with an NTS Agronomist on +61 7 5472 9900 or info@nutri-tech.com.au.

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