Hi Everyone,

Welcome back to another deep dive into the world of Nutrition Farming. At Nutri-Tech Solutions, our core philosophy has always been centred around addressing root causes rather than treating symptoms—a journey that takes us from soil to soul. When we examine animal health challenges like facial eczema in dairy herds, we quickly realise that managing disease through symptomatic band-aids often creates a cascade of secondary problems. True resilience comes from understanding nature's blueprint, restoring microbial bridges, and optimising both plant and animal nutrition.

Facial eczema is a notorious scourge in dairy production, caused by the mycotoxin sporidesmin, which is released by the saprophytic fungus Pithomyces chartarum. This organism thrives in the warm, humid microclimate created by dead plant thatch at the base of pasture swards, particularly ryegrass. When cows ingest these fungal spores, sporidesmin wreaks havoc on their liver, bile ducts, bladder, and mammary glands. The conventional response has long been high-dose zinc oxide administration. While zinc can reduce bile duct damage, over-reliance on 15 grams per cow per day beyond six to seven weeks introduces severe risks of zinc toxicity and suppresses copper absorption. This leads to reduced appetite, lower milk yields, poor cycling, and a distinct red tinge on black coats—requiring yet another symptomatic intervention with copper sulphate.

To break this costly cycle, we must step back and implement proactive biological strategies. The first line of defence is fortifying the structural integrity of the plant cell wall using calcium and plant-available silica (monosilicic acid). Simultaneously, managing the sward by digesting the pasture thatch removes the fungal habitat altogether. Deploying beneficial cellulose-digesting microbes like Lactobacillus plantarum and antagonistic fungi like Trichoderma starves Pithomyces of its home.

Wishing you all a happy, healthy and productive Spring 🌱

Warm regards,

Graeme Sait
Founder, Nutri-Tech Solutions

Sili-Cal (B)™

Bio-activated calcium and silica with boron.

A unique combination of three synergistic cell-strengthening elements: Silica, Calcium and Boron. Sili-Cal (B)™ is an invaluable nutritional inclusion for improving crop resilience and maximising productivity.

The plant cell wall is the physical barrier that helps to avert insect and disease entry. The two elements that toughen that barrier are calcium and silicon, but boron is the third leg of the stool, providing the foundation for crop protection. Boron is a calcium synergist with its own additional resilience functions.

Sili-Cal (B)™ contains luxury levels of these vital cell-strengthening elements in a convenient liquid application with high compatibility with many inputs. Silica and calcium are typically the least user-friendly of all minerals, but in this unique formula, they can be combined with everything. 

In addition to its role in cell strengthening and resilience, calcium is also required for fruit and vegetable quality and flavour. Silica, for example, has several other roles, including stem strength and nutrient translocation and, most importantly, according to recent research, a major broad-spectrum immune elicitor.

Nutri-Life BAM™

Multipurpose blend of anaerobic species for soil, compost and plant health.

This breakthrough probiotic blend contains lactic acid bacteria and purple non-sulphur bacteria, plus beneficial yeasts and microbial exudates.

To order or learn more, call NTS on (07) 5472 9900 or email sales@nutri-tech.com.au.

Certificate in Nutrition Farming

Our next iconic, five-day Certificate in Nutrition Farming® course is scheduled for November 2026: Monday 2nd - 6th.

Our last course was attended by growers and consultants from six countries. It was a wonderful learning opportunity where attendees enjoyed a wealth of education and inspiration from both our presenters and their fellow attendees. We only accept 40 bookings for these courses, so please register if you would like to attend.