Below is a collection of articles from our team of highly skilled, knowledgeable and experienced Technical Farm Consultants. Our team includes people with PhD's, veterinarians and experienced agronomists and we're all keen to help and have plenty of knowledge to share with New Zealand farmers. If you're interested in receiving more in-depth advice, we offer free 2 hour on farm consultations where one of our Technical Field Consultants will come to your farm to discuss how you can improve soil health and farm performance with absolutely no obligation to buy from us.

If you have any topics that you would like to see addressed on our website that could be helpful to other farmers in the Abron community we encourage you to send your suggestions to an Abron consultant or to info@abron.co.nz and we'll do our best to cover the topic as well as possible.

• Are you applying more and more fertiliser to your farm but still not making more money?
  Over the last 20 years, fertiliser inputs have sky-rocketed, yet dry matter production and profitability have remained largely the same. How can we reverse this trend?
• The Truth! Why humates form a vital part of your soil health regime.
  There is some confusion in New Zealand farming circles about the need for humates and what they can do to improve soil health. Find out why humates can have a significant positive effect on your farm.

• Are we growing the grass we think we are?
  On average, New Zealand farms are growing less grass and many have resorted to unsustainable fertiliser applications in attempt to arrest this decline. But what impact is this having on pasture quality and farm profitability?

• Three ways you can reduce facial eczema on your farm.
  The treatment of facial eczema can be a major expense on many farms around New Zealand. Here’s how you can reduce facial eczema without using veterinarian treatments.

• Why pests and diseases attack your crops and what to do to stop it.
  Disease pathogens and pests are always present. Yet not all plants come down with diseases or are attacked by pests. Why is this?

• Could grazing management have a greater effect on soil health and farm profitability than you think?
  Sound grazing management is a vital component of running a farm and as well as ensuring good pasture growth, it can also have a significant effect on pasture quality, animal health and ultimately the profitability of your farm.

• The Answer: is pasture brix irrelevant or a reliable measure of plant performance?
  Despite long term and reliable studies indicating otherwise, some still question the validity of pasture Brix as a measurement of plant health and quality, stating that it is an irrelevant and flawed method of testing. But is it really?

• Are you wasting the valuable nutrients in your crop residues after harvesting?
  Using and encouraging the natural cycles of plant nutrients is a great way to increase the efficiency of your farming operation. Find out how you can improve soil health using the leftovers from harvest.

• When should I apply lime or other fertilisers?
  Most orchard, vineyard, cropping and pasture soils we work with need some dry fertiliser applications to supply major nutrients. But when is the best time to apply them?

• Why do we count worm numbers and what is the ideal amount in a spadeful?
  Many farmers and soil experts dig up a spadeful of soil and then count the number of worms they find to gain a rough understanding of the quality of the soil. How do worm numbers relate to soil health and what is the ideal number to have?

• Explained: why muriate of potash could be killing your soil
  Muriate of potash is a naturally occurring substance that is usually mined, and then applied to farms as a source of potassium and to improve soil health. However it could be doing exactly the opposite!
• How you can reduce the occurrence of 'grass staggers' on your farm
  40+  years ago, cows were not drenched with Magnesium at all. Now, we are almost continually drenching to try and prevent blood Magnesium deficiencies. Why has this come about and what do we need to do to reverse this trend?