Commercial Nitrogen Application is About to Change
New Zealand is currently facing an ecological turning point. The Ministry for the Environment released statistics that show “over 90 per cent of river length in urban areas and about 70 per cent in pastoral farming areas have nitrogen levels that may affect the growth of some aquatic species” (1).
Three-quarters of New Zealand’s native freshwater fish species are threatened with extinction (2).
Much of this is said to be caused by agricultural practices. The Ministry revealed that excessive Nitrogen content in waterways is one of the largest causes of concern.
The great news? Many agricultural experts and farmers are turning to eco-friendly solutions that are beneficial to both their bottom line and the environment.
But we get asked often, “is it possible for commercial growers to reap quality, profitable crops using environmentally friendly fertiliser products?”, Absolutely!
Introducing Biomin N: the effective, ecologically friendly and economic solution to replace other commercial nitrogen supplements.
What is Biomin N?
Biomin N is a 100% water-soluble, organic Nitrogen plant nutrient. Developed in pharmaceutical-grade facilities its ingredient list consists of just three items: Vegetable proteins (HVP), Peptides and L-amino acids.
It is absorbed quickly by the plant, then translocated. This means that the plant saves energy, which it can then put into other processes where needed, such as fruit growth or photosynthesis.
Because of its highly soluble characteristics, Biomin N is plant available and can be mixed with almost anything, allowing it to be used in conjunction with other commercial supplements or even pesticides (so great for both organic and conventional farms). Biomin N has a high concentration of bioavailable amino acids (L amino acids), with substantial benefits for protein biosynthesis, stress resistance, photosynthesis, phytohormones, fruit formation, pollination and soil flora and organic matter.
Quite realistically, the New Zealand environment needs solutions like this right now, to slow the pollution situation for our waterways. Together, we can take a significant step towards helping our beautiful country.
Nitrogen that’s made from plants, not animals
Biomin N is made from plant-derived protein hydrolysates. Basically, this means using vegetable protein, to grow vegetables and other crops. It follows the principle of ‘producing more, with less.’ Many organic commercially available Nitrogen supplements, however, contain proteins that are sourced from animals and fish or their by-products. These include animal epithelial or connective tissue and other leather by-products, blood meal, fish by-products, chicken feathers and casein.
What is available commercially in the current market is largely animal-derived products. These are procured through a process called chemical hydrolysis. This process utilises acids, such as hydrochloric and sulphuric acids at high temperatures and pressures. Because this is an aggressive method of production for fertilisers and crop treatments, some amino acids are destroyed or damaged in the process. Others are converted from their L form to their D form, meaning they lose their biological activity and are biologically counterproductive to the plant.
Various studies (3) have shown reports of phytotoxicity and suppressed growth from crops using animal-derived Nitrogen products. Often, they can cause general amino acid inhibition. That is where the leaf of a plant has excessive uptake of amino acids, causing an imbalance on an intracellular level. This then causes an energy drain on the crop, due to the active transport of said amino acids, leading to the inhibition of nitrate uptake. This further increases the plant cells susceptibility to apoptosis (4).
Do You Want to Trial Biomin N?
This Nitrogen product is currently being trialled in one of New Zealand’s leading vineyards (at time of writing Feb 2020).
Biomin N is currently available for trials right now in New Zealand. We are seeking more growers in various industries to conduct field trials with BIOMIN N. If you want to apply to be included in our field trials please email Managing Director Molly on rsf@rd2.co.nz.
In America, it has proven effective for all crop types, including turf applications. Biomin N has a guaranteed analysis of 14.0% Organic Nitrogen, an which is extraordinarily high.
We like to let the results do the talking.
Biomin N has incredible effects on plants, with official New Zealand field results to follow upon trial completion. It is a long-term, sustainable solution, providing New Zealand farmers with an eco-friendly source of Nitrogen for their crops. Quite realistically, this could be the answer the New Zealand environment needs right now to slow the pollution situation for our waterways. Together, we can take a significant step towards helping our beautiful country.
- Read more at https://www.mfe.govt.nz/consultation/action-for-healthy-waterways
- https://environment.govt.nz/publications/our-fresh-water-2017/
- See one such study: Biostimulant Action of Protein Hydrolysates
- Apoptosis is a form of programmed cell death, or “cellular suicide.” It is different from necrosis, in which cells die due to injury. Apoptosis is an orderly process in which the cell’s contents are packaged into small packets of membrane for “garbage collection” by immune cells. https://www.khanacademy.org/science/biology/developmental-biology/apoptosis-in-development/a/apoptosis
