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June 2009

Welcome to the June 2009 edition of Fertile Minds, packed full of nutrients.

In the last issue we met the environmental consultants. In this issue we meet Scott Fraser, our client services manager. We also respond to feedback from a couple of our readers, who asked about carbon sequestration by activated carbon and the heavy metal content of fertilisers.

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In this issue

• The Loam Ranger – Heavy metal content of fertilisers
• Carbon sequestration in activated carbon
• Plant tissue analysis – what’s your plant telling you?
• Turfgrass irrigation – principles and practices
• Meet the staff – Scott Fraser
• Did you know ... ? – Death by compost

The Loam Ranger – Heavy metal content of fertilisers

Our client Martin Yates, of Ecofertiliser, asked:

I frequently get enquiries from our customers about the heavy metal content of fertilisers we sell. As you would know, we are required to put warnings on the bags if the levels of mercury, lead and cadmium are above certain levels. The concern of the customers is that these heavy metals will cause problems and that they shouldn’t use the fertilisers because of them.

Back before the current fertiliser legislation was drafted, phosphate fertilisers with very high Cd levels were common, and several instances of Cd contamination, particularly in potatoes, occurred. Fertiliser Acts now regulate this and force manufacturers to produce cleaner fertilisers.

It is necessary to warn consumers when heavy metal levels exceed the warning statement levels, but users should be aware that it would take many years of continuous application to exceed safe levels in soils.

Click here to find out why heavy metals pose little problem these days (1000 words, 4 minutes)

Carbon sequestration in activated carbon

In response to our article on soil carbon in the last Fertile Minds, our client Phil Markut, of B.L. Camtek Technology, wrote to ask about opportunities to sequester carbon in landfill in the form of used activated carbon filters. Phil wrote:

“We manufacture activated carbon filtration systems. SESL does our testing for disposal of activated carbon from these units once spent.

“This material is similar in content to the biochar you referred to in your article, being either coal, coconut shell or peat based, charred in a reduced atmosphere to activate and then used for filtration of either liquid or vapour streams. ...

“Activated carbon has a general exemption under the [NSW] Protection of the Environment Act as an immobilising agent for harmful chemicals, which allows us to dispose of the waste to landfill as general waste.

“Would this carbon be eligible for carbon credits when disposed of into landfill?”

It would certainly do the job, but current rules for certification of carbon credit issuers focus on forestry, so this would have to be pursued through a submission to government.

Click here for more details on how we might approach government (500 words, 2 minutes)

Plant tissue analysis – what’s your plant telling you?

When we have a problem with plant health, we often have visual signs of nutrient deficiency or excess; but at other times we need to go a step further and collect a plant tissue sample to acquire more information. Plant tissue analysis is a vastly underutilised means of understanding the nutrient status of a plant and how the plant interacts with the soil and responds to management inputs such as fertiliser. With correct interpretation, plant tissue analysis can be a very useful management tool that takes much of the guesswork out of nutrient management for optimum growth and yield.

Click here for nutrient sufficiency ranges as an indicator of plant health (600 words, 2 minutes)

Turfgrass irrigation – principles and practices

If naturally occurring rainfall is insufficient, irrigation is necessary. To decide how much to apply, we need to know the moisture content of the soil and how much water the turfgrass is using. Regular monitoring will support irrigation scheduling, indicating when and how much water to apply to maintain growth.

In most parts of Australia, evapotranspiration exceeds rainfall for most of the year. There will therefore be a water debt in the soil. So irrigation will be necessary.

Click here to read about how to maximise growth while mininmising water use (1000 words, 4 minutes)

Meet the staff – Scott Fraser

In the last issue we met the environmental consultants. In the next issue we’ll meet the horticultural consultants. But this month we meet the client services manager, who keeps track of where all the samples and results are up to. Meet Scott Fraser.

Scott joined SESL in 2008 from a background in logistics and customer relations, having previously worked for various transport and IT solutions companies. Scott is responsible for maintaining a smooth workflow, identifying any hold-ups and resolving problems.

Click here to read about how Scott keeps the work flowing smoothly (300 words, 1 minute)

Did you know ... ? – Death by compost

“A 47-year-old Briton fell ill less than 24 hours after being engulfed by ‘clouds of dust’ while working with rotting tree and plant mulch.

"At first medics thought the previously healthy welder had pneumonia when he was admitted with severe breathing problems.

"But when antibiotics failed to help, tests showed evidence of Aspergillosis, a reaction to Aspergillus spores."

He died a week later.

This alarming but fortunately rare event underlines the need for anyone working with compost to take precautions.

Click here to learn how to protect yourself from compost spores (500 words, 2 minute)