Once again it is the Mossman cane farming community that is leading the way to find more eco-friendly methods of increasing sugar yields and reduce the need for nitrogen based fertilizers. 

The reason cane farmers have traditionally had to use nitrogen based fertilizers is because sugar cane takes nitrogen from the soil during its annual growth and if it is not replaced each year, the soil deteriorates and the subsequent sugar yields are reduced. 

But, as we all know, the use of fertilizers has become a contentious issue and is often viewed, by the 'green' community with suspicion despite the best efforts and best practices implemented by the farming community. 

So yet again there is good news that trials of a new microbe based product called TwinN were held in 2011 on cane crops worked by 2012 Queensland Premier's Sustainability Award winner, Doug 
Rasmussen.

The results have so impressed Mr Rasmussen and his team that they have taken on the local distributorship of this natural product to ensure it's readily available to the rest of the farming community. 

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Regional Sales Manager Michael Evans spoke at a product launch on Thursday evening (Sept 6th) explaining the way TwinN worked and presented the results of the significant worldwide trials to an invited audience of the leading farmers in the Mossman area. 

These trials demonstrated a 25% increased growth and higher sugar yield.  TwinN is described as a selection of high yielding nitrogen fixing microbes for use as a soil improver in all crops. 

In layman’s terms the product is a freeze dried selection of microbes (bacteria) which are mixed with water and sprayed (preferably in the rain or at least on a wet day) onto the early growth of new cane crops. 

Microbes occur naturally in the soil but this selection has been specifically identified by the manufacturers as those that drive growth of better root systems thus ensuring that expensive fertiliser is captured by the crop more efficiently, so you don't need as much. 

As a totally natural product the resulting effect on the environment is 100% beneficial because it encourages stronger more pest resilient plants.  With the reduced use of fertilizers any 'run off' the prevention of which is already at the forefront of farmers minds in this region is reduced even more.

From a commercial point of view, Rodney Rasmussen said "This product is going to reduce transport costs and increase sugar yield and there is no downside for the environment, we're delighted to be helping to make sure this product is adopted by the rest of our community".

Contact Rasmussen Contracting - 0429 984 920 or email: rasfarm4life@gmail.com.

Full details are available on  www.mabiotic.com.