AU784162B2 - A method of managing crop production - Google Patents

Description

P/00/01128/5/91 Regulation 3.2(2)

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDARD PATENT Application Number: Lodged: Invention Title: A METHOD OF MANAGING CROP PRODUCTION The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to us A METHOD OF MANAGING CROP PRODUCTION Field of the Invention This invention relates to a method of managing crop production which allows the production of biologically acceptable produce through a biological soil management strategy.

Background of the Invention Conventional methods of agriculture employ high inputs of chemical additives which are compounds forming no part of a natural soil ecosystem. Such chemicals may include the superphosphate fertilisers and organic herbicidal compounds. The manufacture of superphosphate fertilisers is a complex and expensive undertaking which ultimately converts a natural product, phosphate rock, into a complex chemical compound which does not exist in nature.

Herbicides are often complex organic compounds which are synthesised from products having their ultimate origin in oil and gas formations. Some such herbicides have since been determined to have toxic effects. Though such synthetically produced herbicides may now be produced which are much less toxic than previously, they are compounds that are not found in nature.

Fertilisers and herbicides are just two of the compounds which are introduced to soils. There are many more such compounds but additives to soils are not merely chemical, they are biological as well. Genetic modifications are made to plants and hormonal additives are also routinely used in agriculture. The effects of such genetic modification are still being assessed but they could be adverse both to the natural ecosystem and to human health.

A new approach is needed to agriculture because: unsustainable farm practices can significantly diminish the production and capital value of farm land; and human health and nutrition has become a significant priority and potential liability for consumers, industry and government authorities.

In former times, a soil might be said to be phosphorus and nitrogen deficient. The typical response to this determination was the application of superphosphate and other chemical fertilisers. A large and profitable industry has grown around superphosphate production. The approach is purely chemical and it is not driven by crop quality considerations. It is also not driven by considerations of soil fertility and nutrition in a biological sense. Organic methods of agriculture are likewise not driven by these considerations.

Similarly, if one considers herbicide or pesticide use, there is no consideration as to why weeds or other plants grow in the agricultural area, they are just there and they have to be removed. Again, the issues of soil fertility, plant health and weed or pest problems are totally disengaged from one another.

Put simply, symptoms not causes are being treated.

Yet, techniques of the modern age may be harnessed to advantage in agriculture. Advances in chemical and physical soil measurement and analysis techniques could be used to improve agricultural practices.

For example, agricultural practices in wheat growing and viticulture could be modified to improve wheat and vine plant health and yield. The product crops would be distinguished in nature and quality from plants currently produced and economic advantages could thereby arise.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention addresses a methodology by which the above objectives may ideally be achieved. The methodology aims at a holistic approach addressing the needs of soil fertility, plant health and, desirably, human nutrition.

Causes not symptoms are the focus of interest.

With this object in view, the present invention provides a biological method of managing crop production including the following steps: selecting an area to be farmed with a specified crop; evaluating said area, which evaluation includes conducting physical and/or 25 chemical analysis of the soil environment of said area; determining objective standards for soil and crops in said area and a biological nutrient application programme for the area aimed at achieving those of the objective standards which are specific to the specified crop, the programme consisting of application of biologically acceptable components not known to cause genetic modification of plants; conducting the biological nutrient application programme; conducting testing of soil and specified crops in the area for measuring compliance with said objective standards; and 3 adjusting the biological nutrient application programme, as necessary, to reduce adverse variations from said objective standards and wherein the biological nutrient application programme is conducted to stimulate microbial activity to promote plant availability of nitrogen.

The method may be sustainably applied to management of any desired crop but application to the growing of grains, crops, such as wheat, barley and millet, and vines is a special focus of interest.

The specified crop may be selected, following evaluation of the farmed area, having regard to the previous agricultural history of the selected area. One or more of soil type, cropping rotation, weed pressure, insect pressure and previous chemical application history may be taken into account for this purpose.

Selection of the specified crop may include determination of target yields and appropriate seeding of planting rates for the selected area.

In determining the biological nutrient application programme and other 15 requirements for the area to be farmed, soil fertility profile testing forms a major part in evaluating the area. The soil fertility profile testing will include measures o9 99 which identify nutrient deficiencies in soil. Soil fertility profile testing need not concentrate solely on chemical measures. Physical testing such as ream testing may be employed. For example, soil compaction above certain levels may reflect a calcium deficiency. Phosphorus and nitrogen requirements at least will be measured. In the Australian context, particularly, phosphorus deficiency is an identified problem and phosphorus addition will often be a key element of the biological nutrient application programme. Rate of release of phosphorus may also be important and slow release compositions may be employed in conjunction 25 with faster release compositions as necessary to achieve better phosphorus uptake and crop yield.

Nutrients should, more desirably must, be introduced to the soil only in biologically acceptable form. Thus, phosphorus may be introduced in the form of phosphate rock and nitrogen may be introduced through use of animal waste products and fish based products. Nutrients may also, and advantageously, be supplied by biological fertiliser products such as that available under the trade mark ERAPHOS, subject of Australian Patent Application No. 18362/01, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference. Calcium is also critically important and may be introduced, for example, as lime. There is much less focus on nitrogen, potassium dominance and more focus on calcium, phosphate dominance.

Once the amount of nutrients to be added have been determined, typically on a mass per unit selected area, or mass, or volume per unit, or volume of nutrient composition added the biological nutrient application programme may also be determined. The programme will require the identification not only of the amounts of nutrient required but also the rates and methodology of application of the nutrients. Timing of addition of the nutrients may also be important dependent on the stage of plant growth.

The biological nutrient application programme may have regard to a postulated target crop yield for the selected area. Thus, the amounts, methodology and rate of application of the nutrients may be calculated having regard to a target crop yield.

The nutrient application programme may allow for the following permitted inputs: organically registered live or dead microbial products, mineral additives including additives in carbonate or sulphate form, phosphate including phosphate in organic form, nitrogen containing materials including ammonium sulphate and monoor di- ammonium phosphate (which addition may not exceed 100 kg/ha), sugar products (an important component of the nutrient application programme to be employed following the inventive method), kelp products, vitamins (especially vitamin B12); and chelated minerals not treated in any way to compromise biological acceptability.

Herbicides, other than biologically acceptable herbicides such as glycosphate are excluded. Their use should generally be unnecessary in accordance with inventive method.

The biological nutrient application programme is tailored to promotion of microbial growth, growth particularly being sought of nitrogen and calcium fixing microorganisms that are native to the soil but often suppressed by chemical agriculture strategies.

Inputs, most advantageously and desirably to be excluded from the biological nutrient application programme are insecticides, herbicides, chemical fertilisers and genetically modified plants, organisms and compounds produced by genetic modification to the extent that these are biologically unacceptable.

Provision may be made for biologically acceptable quantities of ammonium sulphate, mono- and di- ammonium phosphate and glycosphate to be added in the nutrient application programme. The biological nutrient application programme may allow for variations in application of the permitted inputs throughout the growing season.

Heavy metal content of inputs may be monitored during the biological nutrient application programme and addition rate accordingly controlled.

The programme may employ steps such as aeration, mulching and/or :green manuring. The programme may involve mulching of a crop stubble, such as wheat stubble, into the soil, this being supported by nutrient addition as required. Such mulching may be done seasonally for example in summer.

Once crop growth is established, compliance with objective pre-determined nutritionally relevant soil and plant standards may be measured at regular intervals during the growing season. If the crop does not meet the predetermined standard at each measurement stage, the reason for the noncompliance may be identified and the biological nutrient application programme may be adjusted to achieve better compliance by reducing adverse variation from pre-determined standards in a, desirably, feedback control system. That is nutrient addition may be varied or the methodology of nutrient application may be varied to achieve better compliance. Chemical measurement of soil and plant nutrient levels may be conducted. Qualitative measurement of variables such as 6 insect activity, weed pressure and visual appearance of the growing crop, may be conducted to assess compliance with the objective soil fertility profile. More specifically, the harvested crop may be tested for compliance with human and plant nutritional standards and pre-determined objective standards or specifications for variables such as: sap and/or plant tissue pH, mineral content, 0 elemental content, starch content, sugar or oil content, amino acid level, nitrate content, vitamin content enzyme content, S: 15 soil conductivity these being measures of soil and plant health.

Such pre-determined standards reflect desired soil fertility and plant nutritional profiles which may be supplemented by measures of customer acceptance of the harvested crop Actual and desired profiles are compared and corrective action taken as part of the inventive method.

20 Analysis for elemental content may involve analysis of any one or more of the following elements: aluminium, boron, cadmium, calcium, organic carbon, chromium, cobalt, o copper, iodine, iron, lead, lithium, magnesium, manganese, molybdenum, nickel, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, rubidium, selenium, silicon, sodium, strontium, 25 sulphur, vanadium and zinc.

Particularly significant of these possible analyses are calcium, magnesium, zinc, nitrogen, phosphorus and sulphur analyses. Likely deficiencies of any element as determined by soil analyses may be allowed for in the nutrient application programme. Elemental analyses may be made by analytical equipment such as atomic absorption and inductively coupled plasma and crystal spectrophotometers or by other analytical instruments. Other analytical techniques may be employed. Reference may helpfully be made to texts on analytical chemistry for more information about appropriate instruments.

Chemical laboratories may supply elemental analyses as required.

Other variables, such as element ratios e.g carbon: nitrogen ratio, calcium: magnesium ratio, may be measured by appropriate techniques. For example, sugar level may be determined by refractometry.

Further analysis may include bioassay of the specified crop for detecting presence of genetically modified plant DNA. These levels should be minimised by use of an appropriate genetic engineering testing technology for quality control or quality assurance. Monitoring is desirably continuous. Deliberate genetic modification is precluded from the scope of this invention.

The nutrient application programme may involve spraying of the specified crop with foliar and soil or ground spraying being advantageous for promotion of fruiting. The nature of the sprayed nutrients and frequency of spraying may be correlated with the measurements described above. A preferred foliar spray for such application is that available under the trade mark CROPMINDER which is the subject of Australian Provisional Patent Application No. PR6322 filed July 11, 2001, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.

Measurements of compliance with objective standards may also be made at harvest and production times, these measurements being compared with targets for yield and nutrient level. Such measurements will generate crop yield profile, soil fertility profile and plant nutrition profile for the farmed area. The nutrient application programme may then be adjusted accordingly for the next season allowing for seasonal variations in variables, which may be linked to the selected area, such as temperature and rainfall data. In this way, the biological crop management method is adaptive over time. The desired outcome, as stated above, is continuous improvement of soil and plant quality, desirably, with benefit for human nutrition. Such also assists in weather-proofing the farm by building humus, nutrient and other elemental levels to a point where production is not significantly affected by seasonal conditions. This is especially important in the case of organic carbon.

8 It may be noted that an important potential benefit of the inventive method is increased production of humus. As the humus level increases, heavy metals are rendered unavailable for plant uptake and health is promoted by a lower product crop content of such heavy metals.

The method may also develop, or recommend against, crop rotation strategies as a result of soil analysis. For example, a wheat-canola-wheat rotation may cause a difficulty for nitrogen management in some soils leading to a recommendation against such rotation.

In another aspect of the present invention, the method may be implemented by a farmer in response to a questionnaire. The questionnaire may be in electronic or computerised format and, indeed, the internet provides a useful means by which the data can be supplied.

In accordance with this aspect, the farmer may be queried as to matters of location, crop type, physical and chemical characteristics of the environment and other specified crop and/or selected area data as appropriate ("farmer inputs").

These aspects may then be processed with the output being the particular nutrient application programme for the farmer for the object of achievement of target soil fertility profile, plant nutrition profile and crop yield profile. A further output may be a computerised model of the farmed area.

The nutrient application programme may provide all the information the farmer needs to implement the crop management strategy. Then, as time goes on, soil and crop test results may be input and the system may provide information, for example, as to plant nutritional profiles, soil fertility profiles and crop yield profiles which dictate further actions to be taken.

It may also be possible to provide some statistical estimate of the likelihood or probability of crops and soil meeting acceptable nutritional standards if the methodology is strictly followed. However, it will be understood that agriculture is particularly susceptible to the intervention of unforeseen events and such methodology or modelling may will not necessarily be able to allow for all of these.

Nevertheless, as time goes on and more data is collected, greater conformance of predicted and actual crop yield, soil fertility and plant nutritional profiles may be expected.

Adjustments to the biological nutrient application programme, necessary to achieve the pre-determined standards, may be calculated using a computer control system which may incorporate a model or database which predicts soil fertility, crop yield and plant nutrition profiles as a function of historical data.

Where adverse variations or deficiencies are measured, the computer may calculate necessary applications of permitted inputs to overcome the deficiencies.

The necessary application may be correlated with climatic conditions and history of the selected area for greater efficacy. As data collection proceeds over time, greater accuracy may be achieved in determining the biological nutrient application programme for attainment of desired crop yield, plant nutrition and soil fertility profiles with benefits for soil quality and plant nutrition. Continuous improvement in soil quality is a desirable objective of the inventive method. In any event, databases of information may be built up that facilitate more efficient biologically acceptable crop production.

Possible advantages arising from practising the method of the invention include improved plant health and soil fertility which are linked together with the ~objective of increasing crop yield and, desirably, improving human nutrition through a holistic biological approach to agriculture.

"In particular, relating the nutrient application programme to crop management may allow crop nutrient and elemental levels to be controlled at a S- level more closely approximating optimum human nutritional requirements through achievement of a "closed loop" agricultural control strategy. More optimum human nutrition may be achieved through this method.

Description of Exemplary Embodiments of the Invention The practice and advantage of the invention may be more fully understood from the following description of examples of a biological crop management programme in accordance with the present invention intended to demonstrate, rather than to restrict the scope of, the present invention.

Example 1 As a first example may be taken a farm paddock in a medium rainfall area in Western Australia where the specified crop is wheat. The target wheat yield selected is 3 tonne/ha. Previous history of the paddock was use as a legume pasture. A soil analysis is conducted having particular reference to analysis of calcium and phosphorus levels. The soil analysis may follow a Ream Test methodology establishing optimum nutrient and conductivity levels in soil. The soil analysis shows that calcium, phosphorus and nitrogen are required in a nutrient application programme.

A nutrient programme would involve introduction of calcium as lime, phosphorus as phosphate rock; and phosphorus in an application of 50 kg/ha mono ammonium phosphate (MAP).

Nitrogen requirement to achieve target yield of wheat is determined. While the soil contains a large amount of nitrogen, it is the level of aerobic biological activity that determines how much will be mineralised into a plant available form.

Aerobic biological activity is a function of the compaction of the soil. Soil compaction and depth of the hard pan may be measured by a penetrometer.

Additionally, the soil is subjected to total nitrogen and conductivity testing.

o If for example, the total nitrogen reading is 1200 ppm and the soil conductivity is 0.100 mS/cm, the total nitrogen requirement will be 69 kg/ha for :the target wheat yield. 50 kg/ha nitrogen may be achieved from the soil, leaving a balance of 19 kg/ha to be supplied in the nutrient application programme. MAP supplies 7 kg/ha and 12 kg/ha may be applied on the soil surface prior to seeding using an appropriate amount of biological acceptable nitrogen additive. This nitrogen may be blended with 5-10 kg/ha sugar to stimulate biological activity at the desired rate to promote the desired plant availability of nitrogen.

Typically, potassium and sulphur requirements would be low or negligible.

Soil analyses may also be conducted for the trace elements: Copper, zinc, manganese, molybdenum and boron.

Manganese deficiency may be compensated for by an application of kg/ha manganese sulphate.

The nutrients and elements above specified may be applied to the paddock using conventional fertilising machinery.

11 In addition, the nutrient application programme would involve liquid soil spraying with a spray containing 2 I/ha liquid fish emulsion, 40 ml/ha vitamin B12, I/ha kelp and live microbial product. The spraying equipment may also be conventional noting that nozzles and equipment should be such as to avoid, as far as possible, spray blockages.

A seed dressing would also form part of the nutrient application programme and may be made up of microbial stimulant applied at 4 I/tonne seed, calcium carbonate at 1 kg/tonne, 0.5 I/tonne humic acid and 0.5 I/tonne molasses with some vitamin B12 added. This would be mixed with 6 I/tonne water and applied immediately before sowing.

A seeding rate of 70 kg seed/ha would be suggested to achieve a desired plant density and promote weed control and desired microbial populations in the soil. The soil should be aerated immediately after crop sowing prior to germination.

4.

15 A selected time after germination, say two weeks after germination, the soil o O• A.o and growing crop are both inspected. Plants may be subjected to sugar and

S.O

S elemental analysis as described above. Sugar levels may be measured by refractometry. The elemental analyses may focus on measurement of phosphorus, nitrogen, boron, copper, manganese, and molybdenum and zinc levels in plant and soil. The soil may also be tested for conductivity. Other soil variables that may be measured at this time include pH of soil and plant sap, soil temperature and redox potential. This information may be recorded along with date and climatic information.

Pest insect presence may also be measured and soil management 25 undertaken if necessary to reduce pest population. In accordance with the inventive method, it is considered that pest insect pressure often indicates poor plant health. Sugar levels are important to cell wall strength and pest resistance.

Frost resistance is similarly linkable to sugar levels in plant sap.

Measurements may be made at regular intervals following the first stage.

Suitable intervals may be two to three weekly and may be supplemented by a visual inspection of the growing crop. If deficiencies occur in term of adverse variation, the pre-determined standards, the nutrient application programme may 12 be adjusted to correct the deficiency. For example, if manganese measurements remain too low, further application of manganese dioxide may be implemented. A computer may be employed to calculate necessary further applications to overcome various levels of elemental or other plant or soil variable deficiency.

The corrective strategy employed may be correlated with previous history for the soil fertility, crop yield and plant nutrition profiles of the selected area and climatic conditions.

If the crop is growing well, a foliar spray may be employed to trigger the plants into fruiting energy at late tailoring. Such a spray may comprise 2 I/ha liquid fish, 2 kg/ha sugar, 15 ml/ha vitamin 812, 1 I/ha kelp and 2 kg/ha soluble MAP. Other nutrients that could be added include 1 I/ha cloudy ammonia, 4 kg/ha magnesium sulphate (Epsom salts) or 1 I/ha phosphoric acid or 3 kg/ha calcium nitrate. The visual assessment of the crop determines the volume and frequency of foliar spraying.

Example 2 (Comparative) A paddock of a Pingaring, WA farm was planted with a Halberd wheat onto a duplex sand clay soil in 1999. At the end of the growing season, tillers were el S0 dripping off and only small heads emerged despite good visual appearance early ee in the season and the crop receiving excellent finishing rains. Crop yield was 0.4 tonne per hectare.

Example 3 oo*ooo* The same Pingaring farm paddock as in Example 2 was subjected to a comprehensive soil analysis indicating two probable causes for the low yield in 1999, extremely low zinc levels and very high sodium level.

Under these conditions, barley was chosen as the specified crop and a biological nutrient application programme to target yield 1.8 t/ha or higher was developed. The programme was implemented involved application, as follows: 200kg/ha crushed limestone 100kg/ha gypsum zinc sulphate In addition, 40kg/ha ERAPHOS, an advantageous proprietary biological fertiliser product as described in Australian Patent Application No. 18362/01, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference was applied. All additives were applied to the soil prior to summer stubble mulching.

In this operation, wheat stubble was mulched lightly into the soil in early March after the summer rains with further addition of 25kg/ha urea. The stubble was mostly broken down before seeding. The barley crop was then seeded in late May with 80kg/ha Agflow compound fertiliser and 70kg/ha urea.

Visible inspection, an important standard, showed good appearance of the barley crop throughout the growing season and the biological nutrient application programme proceeded accordingly. The heads were a good size and the crop was thick despite a very dry finish to the season. A second paddock planted with wheat rather than barley yielded similar results.

Crop yield following the biological nutrient application improved for the first paddock from 0.6 t/ha to 2.1t/ha.

Example 4 A paddock had, on soil analysis, a light sandy soil with non-wetting tendencies causing poor germination with yield consistently below the farm average. The paddock grew a large amount of brome grass.

In one year, the paddock grew a heavily frosted wheat crop with a very thick stubble. The next year, 750kg/ha lime and 200kg/ha gypsum was applied to the stubble in one portion of the paddock with another treated conventionally as a control area.

The stubble was too heavy for the knife points so it was disced into the soil and seeded. Just prior to discing, a ground spray was applied as a biological stimulent, the spray consisting of fish emulsion, sugar and vitamin B12. The control was seeded with knife points and had no top dressing or ground spray loooe Sapplied. Lupins (100kg Merrit) was seeded with TSP 50kg/ha and yielded 1.76 t/ha.

The control area still showed problems with non-wetting, with dry patches and poor lupin germination and was not worth harvesting.

The next year, 70kg/ha Westonia wheat was the specified crop and seeded with target yield 2 t/ha wheat set to determine appropriate biological nutrient application programme. The wheat was seeded with 80kg/ha DAPSCZ, a 14 compound fertiliser containing diammonium phosphate and extra sulphur, copper and zinc. It was later top-dressed with 50kg/ha urea and 30kg/ha potash. The crop had good potential, on observation, but lacked moisture. The yield was 1.4t/ha with 12.4% protein. Brome grass is no longer a problem in the area.

Example A poorly yielding paddock was assessed and a target yield of 2.5 t/ha wheat was set for the paddock. Soil analysis determined that the soil was fragile with most nutrients well below adequate pH for optimum nutrient ability and plant growth. Other deficiencies were noted for magnesium, copper, zinc, organic carbon, low microbial activity, phosphorus, sulphur, potassium, nitrate and total nitrogen.

A biological nutrient application programme was developed to address identified deficiencies and improve soil fertility as follows:

PH

Calcic limestone to be added at a rate of 0.4 t/ha every year until base saturation of calcium reaches Magnesium 200 kg/ha dolomite to be applied during first year of treatment.

Trace Elements Copper, Zinc Copper deficiency was addressed by application of 4kg/ha copper sulphate. Zinc deficiency was addressed by application of 4kg/ha zinc oxide.

Importantly, it was determined that these compounds should be blended with the Sfertiliser. Other trace elements were in low to adequate range.

Organic Carbon The organic carbon reading was very low. Residue management, biological activity and earthworm activity was prescribed for maintaining organic carbon levels to provide buffer from weather extremes. The soil will also store more moisture and organic nitrogen. To enhance microbial activity, a biological stimulant was to be applied as seed dressing at 3 I/tonne seed.

Phosphorus Phosphorus level was adequate but low biological activity was thought likely to prevent adequate phosphorus uptake. The biological nutrient application programme was designed to include a phosphate rock/microbial culture product available under the trade mark BIOPHOS® with 40 kg/ha to be top dressed prior to seeding. 10kg/ha phosphorus was also to be applied at seeding.

The increased phosphorus availability should improve sugar levels in the plant reducing insect attack, diseases and frost damage. The nutrient application programme may be modified if sugar levels are too low or insect attack, diseases or frost damage observed to a substantial extent.

Sulphur level deficiency was addressed by application of 200kg/ha gypsum which may be blended with lime and/or BIOPHOS® product.

Potassium The potassium deficiency was addressed by application of 30kg/ha of muriate of potash top-dressed prior to seeding. Aeration was also recommended to bring potassium into balance with other cations.

Nitrate and Total Nitrogen Nitrate levels were addressed, with the object of achieving yield target, by application of 15kg/ha nitrogen down the tube at seeding. The balance of the nitrogen requirement was top dressed just prior to seeding.

Foliar Spray A foliar spray available under the trade mark CROP MINDER®, and the .o.o.i subject of Australian Provisional Patent Application NO. PR6322, was also to be applied at seeding to increase vegetative growth and yield.

Example 6 A further poorly yielding paddock was assessed and a target yield of t/ha canola was set for the paddock. Soil analysis determined that the paddock was in relatively good condition though previous planting of wheat made nitrogen management critical. Avoidance of wheat-canola-wheat rotations was recommended.

Low pH, calcium-magnesium ratio, zinc, organic carbon, sulphur level, nitrate levels and total nitrogen levels were indicated deficiencies.

A programme was developed to address identified deficiencies as follows: pH Calcic limestone to be added at a rate of 0.6 t/ha every year until the base saturation of calcium reaches Calcium Magnesium Ratio Ratio correction was to be conducted through lime applications.

Trace Element Zinc Zinc level needed correction by application of 4kg/ha to be blended with fertiliser such as a compound fertiliser.

Nitrate and Total Nitrogen Nitrate levels were addressed, with the object of achieving yield target, by application of 15 kg/ha nitrogen down the tube at seeding. The balance of the nitrogen requirement was top dressed just prior to seeding. Carbon: nitrogen ratio was measured and found acceptable.

Foliar Spray A foliar spray available under the trade mark CROPMINDER®, and the subject of Australian Provisional Patent Application No. PR 6322, was also to be applied at seeding to increase vegetative growth and yield.

Modifications and variations to the method of managing crop production in accordance with the present invention may be apparent to the skilled reader of this specification. Such modifications and variations are deemed within the scope of the present invention.

Claims (14)

1. A biological method of managing crop production including the following steps: selecting an area to be farmed with a specified crop; evaluating said area, which evaluation includes conducting physical and/or chemical analysis of the soil environment of said area; determining objective standards for soil and crops in said area and a biological nutrient application programme for the area aimed at achieving those of the objective standards which are specific to the specified crop, the programme consisting of application of biologically acceptable components not known to cause genetic modification of plants; conducting the biological nutrient application programme; conducting testing of soil and specified crops in the area for measuring compliance with said objective standards; and 15 adjusting the biological application programme, as necessary, to reduce adverse variations from compliance with said objective standards and wherein the biological nutrient application programme is conducted to stimulate microbial growth to promote plant availability of nitrogen.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said specified crop is a grain crop. 20

3. The method of claim 1 or claim 2 wherein said specified crop is selected having regard to previous agricultural history of said selected area.

4. The method of any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein said analysis of said soil oo.°° o S environment includes nutrient deficiency identification.

The method of any one of the preceding claims wherein said biological nutrient application programme promotes growth of nitrogen and calcium fixing micro-organisms.

6. The method of any one of the preceding claims wherein heavy metal input is monitored during said biological nutrient application programme. 18

7. The method of any one of the preceding claims wherein compliance with said objective standards is monitored at regular intervals during the specified crop growing season.

8. The method of any one of the preceding claims wherein compliance with said objective standards is monitored by testing said specified crop after harvesting.

9. The method of claim 8 where said testing of said specified crop after harvesting includes testing for compliance with predetermined objective standards for a variable selected from the group consisting of sap pH, plant tissue pH, mineral content, elemental content, amino acid level, nitrate content, vitamin content and enzyme conductivity.

The method of claim 9 wherein said variable is elemental content and said element is selected from the group consisting of aluminium, boron, cadmium, Scalcium, organic carbon, chromium, cobalt, copper, iodine, lead, lithium, magnesium, manganese, molybdenum, nickel, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, rubidium, selenium, silicon, sodium, strontium, sulphur, vanadium and zinc.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein said element is selected from the group consisting of calcium, magnesium, zinc, nitrogen, phosphorus and sulphur.

12. The method of any one of the preceding claims wherein compliance with said objective standards is monitored by bioassay of said specified crop to detect presence of genetically modified plant DNA.

13. The method of any one of the preceding claims wherein said biological nutrient application programme includes foliar spraying of said specified crop.

14. The method of any one of the preceding claims being implemented by a computer control system. q I 19 The method of claim 14 wherein said computer control system outputs said biological nutrient application programme on the basis of farmer inputs being selected area and specified crop data. DATED this 10 th day of August 2001 GAGEE FOODS PTY. LTD. And WORLD AG P"T LTD dks& Fm wv~ rn Cov4?Q P4 LAck S. S S S S S WATERMARK PATENT TRADEMARK ATTORNEYS 290 BURWOOD ROAD HAWTHORN. VIC. 3122.