Agronomist sees biological shift in hort

The owner of Ag-Plus Consulting noticed frustration among growers not getting reliable results from the traditional range of fertiliser and crop nutrition products on the market.

"I guess farmers at heart like to work with nature," Mr O'Dea said.

"The problem in the past is that the technology and the products did not work consistently."

Ag-Plus Consulting Pty Ltd is a chemical, fertiliser, compost and bio- management supply company in the Bundaberg, Gayndah and Mundubbera districts.

Ag-Plus's approach to thinking outside the box, combining chemical and biological methods has led to increased uptake and client successes.

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Mr O'Dea was born and raised on a vegetable property in the Lockyer Valley.

After completing university at the Gatton Agricultural College, he worked for Pivot Fertilisers in north Queensland before transferring to Bundaberg.

He started his own company, Ag-Plus Consulting, to supply all horticultural inputs.

According to Mr O'Dea, the use of micro-organisms is opening up new opportunities in composting and soil/foliar applications.

The business's footprint has become quite significant, with Ag-Plus Consulting now looking after millions of trees and more than 10,000 hectares of horticultural crops.

He has since become an advocate for Multikraft Probiotics, which are based on beneficial microbes and compost to help improve plant health.

He was first introduced to Multikraft by a couple of clients who thought it was worth following up.

"Products like Multikraft are working consistently and growers are making the change. When growers see the change in the health of their trees or smallcrops, it's an easy decision," he said.

He said prices have also helped in allowing people to try these methods like fermented composting, soil drenches and foliar applications.

"Growers are aware of all the outside pressure of the consumer wanting more green clean food without the use of pesticides," Mr O'Dea said.

"For example growers exporting fruit can't get into some countries with the use of some pesticides.

"This will defiantly continue and will be the way of the future due to consumers not only in Australia but all around the world demanding it."

Compost is the end product of the fermentation of various materials like woodchip, nut husk, citrus peel, chicken manure and other farm wastes.

With the help of micro-organisms, the compost ferments and matures anaerobically.

Multikraft micro-organisms make up a critical part of this process to promote the regenerative forces of nature that are particularly beneficial in the anaerobic areas of the soil and the plant - especially in areas where problems with decomposition and pest infestation occur.

Ag-Plus Consulting supplies NPK fertilisers combined with carbon and background trace elements to the tree crops and vegetables within the area.

These fertilisers buffer the effects of excessive elements, particularly salts/sodium, toxic chemicals and heavy metals due to the high carbon levels.

The high carbon content also increases microbial activity and stabilises nutrients.

These fertilisers buffer pH extremes, stress levels and high nutrient load for crops subject to bi-annual bearing.

Ag-Plus Consulting, which has stores in Bundaberg and Mundubbera, also supplies all the known brand names of ag-chemicals.