Kite Consulting and AB Agri recently conducted a survey of dairy farmers. Almost all (95%) said climate change was costing their business, yet less 50% have a plan to prepare.
Drought (80%), high temperatures (60%) and flash flooding (37%) were some of the effects cited has having direct impacts on their businesses. With these in mind, it’s perhaps not surprising that 70% of farmers experienced feed shortages.
When it comes to dealing with these challenges, building soil health is an important piece of the jigsaw. Too often we focus on the physical structure and chemical composition, forgetting the role biology plays.
The soil biome is partly responsible for both – building soil structure and balancing the chemical composition – and is essential for productive nutrient cycling, as well as water retention and drainage.
We’re not saying that soil biology is the answer to everything but it can make significant contribution. And where the biome has been depleted there are relatively inexpensive ways to encourage its recovery.
SlurryForSoil™ uses slurry as a feedstock for microbes that have been proven to improve soil health, helping plants be more resilient to stresses like drought, heat and flooding. It’s been shown to increase yields and forage quality (as well as lowering fertiliser costs).
In the last 18 months we’ve contributed to a number of articles exploring the topic of soil health and soil biology and demonstrated the effects of the product through independent trials and on-farm case studies, head to the news section of our website to find them!