Last week we discussed how to reduce your fertiliser use by increasing the Indigenous Micro Organisms (IMO’s) in your soil and addressing chemistry imbalances to unlock nutrients and make them plant available.
This week are looking at the steps to take to reduce your herbicide use. You may begin to notice a theme …… but I won’t spoil the secret for you!
When transitioning to a farming system that uses fewer synthetic inputs it is hard to imagine having a decreased weed burden, but it is possible. Healthy soil with a diversity of active soil life and good structure will have reduced weed burden. If you are looking for a simple read on weeds, a great book is ‘Let’s Talk Weeds’ by Jay L. McCaman, and is well worth the investment.
While you are waiting for your soil biology to really kick into gear, and for your soil structure to improve, there are a few things you can do to help make the herbicides you may still need to use more effective.
Adding fulvic acid to your herbicide mix will help make the herbicide more effective. Fulvic will help open the stomata (pores) of the plant, allowing the plant to absorb the herbicide more efficiently. There is also some data that shows you can use fulvic in place of your wetter.
Another way you can make your herbicide more effective is by adjusting the pH of your spray brew to ensure the best pH for the herbicide you are using. For instance, glyphosate is said to work best at a pH of 3.5, and citric acid is the most common substance used to adjust pH.
There are many farmers who have halved their herbicide rate through a combination of fulvic acid and lowering the pH of their spray mix to 3.5. With the current price of herbicides, using these simple techniques could result in a considerable cost saving, with the additional advantage of fewer chemicals going into the environment; it is a win: win.
Some advice about fulvic acid before you rush off to place a big order! There are many types of fulvic acids on market with different strengths. Some may be a 5% to 8% solution and need to be used at 1 to 2 Litres per Ha to be effective, while others can be up to 75% solution, and you may only 100ml per Ha. The fulvic acid I use is Fulvic Plus, it is fulvic acid mixed with seaweed and is a 20% solution applied at 250ml per Ha. I find the Fulvic Plus seaweed mix seems to make a fantastic chelating agent.
Once again it is wise to slowly lower your herbicide rate over time to find that sweet spot. Don’t just pull 50% out and expect it to work. It is a combination of soil health improvement and using the reduced rate with fulvic and lower pH that will create success.
If you would like to discuss your plan and how to start it, how to do a visual soil assessment, how to take a soil test or how to order soil amendments and biological activators then please call Luke on 0427 138 100 or Zoe in Western Vic on 0427 008 017.
