TM

S o i l A C T i V A T o R

Rejuvenates soil.Improves profitability.

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TM

S o i l A C T i V A T o R

TM Agricultural

Tested for over a decade in numerous government and university research studies TM is proven to increase soil health. TM Agricultural is used in all states of Australia and New Zealand. It is used in a wide range of agriculture, horticulture and viticulture industries.

TM Agricultural is a soil ameliorant in a liquid form designed to kick start and increase beneficial biological activity in the soil. TM Agricultural is in a class of its own using “trigger” technology developed right from our own laboratories to activate the native biology in all soil types.

Soil biology is responsible for recycling nutrients, converting elements including phosphorus and atmospheric nitrogen into forms that are plant available and breaking down both man-made and natural toxins.

Common observations of TM Agricultural is loose aerated soil with high oxygen levels which means better water absorption and holding capacities and deeper root systems.

Healthy soils enable the inputs being used to be much more effective with greater efficiencies. Our goals at Best are to help you, the producer to grow healthy, high quality produce with reduced inputs, less risk and higher profits.

TM Agricultural rejuvenates soil and restores it to a fertile state.

“Essentially, all life depends upon the soil ... There can be no life without soil and no soil without life; they evolve together.”

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What is TM AgriculturalSoil scientists around the world generally agree that soil biology is the “engine room of the soil.” Soil biology is responsible for recycling nutrients, converting elements including atmospheric nitrogen and stable but unavailable forms of phosphorus into forms that are plant available, breaking down toxins, both man-made and natural. These biological processes sustain life as we know it.

TM Ag is an organic registered soil ameliorant designed to kick-start and increase beneficial biological activity in the soil, beginning with the bacteria and fungi that all other soil life depends on. Although TM contains natural trace nutrients, its primary aim is to stimulate the vast array of indigenous soil organisms to do their work.

What can Best offer farmers using conventional products? With Best products, farmers can expect to reduce their dependence on chemicals, especially many of the insecticide and fungicides used regularly in conventional farming. Substantial reductions in the need for synthetic fertiliser are also commonly reported. Improved crop quality with fewer screenings or second grades, improved pasture quality and a reduction in nutrients leached to groundwater are benefits consistently associated with the use of TM Ag. These improvements are achieved while maintaining or increasing crop yields and farm productivity.

What is the science behind your products/ trial evidence/ evaluation by government bodies? From day one Best has been involved with universities and independent trial organisations around the world, too numerous to mention here. For more information visit our website www.bestenvirotech.com.au Research trials are ongoing and Best is committed to verification by good science.

What savings does the system bring?Best products bring many savings to farmers both quantifiable and otherwise. Generally farmers can save on chemicals, fertiliser, fuel, wear and tear on equipment, irrigation water and time. Often, there is a noticeable correction in soil pH, with both acidic and alkaline soils moving closer to neutral. This is due to the buffering effect of increased levels of biological activity.

Why do growers use your products? Do they just want to switch to fashionable organic systems; are they after cost savings or do they genuinely want to reduce their carbon footprint?Farmers use our products for many different reasons. Mainly however, they see what other farmers are achieving and want to replicate those results on their own properties. They also see a way to reduce their input costs, leading to improved viability.Most of the farmers we work with are not organic. They simply want a reliable, economical method of reducing high input costs.

Can farmers use Best products in conjunction with natural fertilisers, composts etc.? Definitely. Many farmers report excellent results when using TM in conjunction with more biologically friendly forms of fertiliser. There are numerous companies producing quality fertilisers and composts with the benefit of soil biology in mind. However, the application of large quantities of material per hectare or the high cost of specialised microbial products can be a major consideration with these approaches. Application rates of TM Ag are usually only 250 to 500 ml/ha. TM lays no claim to being a fertiliser. It is registered as an organic soil ameliorant.

Q&AFrom Questions to Answers

TM Ag is all about low volume, low cost and excellent efficiency, giving the “Best Bang” for your $ buck.4

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Yesterday’s farmer was concerned only with crop yield.

Today’s farmer focuses on soil health and long-term profitability.

• Rich in organic matter.

• Higher crop yield.

• Soil rich in nutrients and, robust crops that are less susceptible to disease and pests.

• Reduced costs for fungicides and pesticides

• Greater water absorption and moisture retention.

• Soil that is less susceptible to erosion and runoff.

• Aerated soil that is not compacted and hard. This reduces fuel costs and wear and tear on machinery.

Benefits of healthy soil:The Benefits of Healthy Soil:

• Robustcrops.• Sustainableprofit.

Healthy soil leads to robust and healthy plants, reduced cost of operations, improved yield and profitability.

TM Agricultural works to rejuvenate the soil. Over the last twenty years, the ability to research at the molecular level has brought significant insight into the relationship between microbial organisms, soil health, plant health and crop yield. Best™ has engaged in this research since the 1990s to establish sustainable farming methods that lead to enhanced soil health and sustainable agricultural practices.

The secret to healthy soilTM Agricultural restores the interconnected relationship between the soil, micro-organisms and plants. Best has developed a simple, easy to apply process that awakens dormant soil microbes, unlocking tied up nutrients and making them plant available. The result is healthy, aerated soil, rich in nutrients and robust plants that are healthy and more resistant to disease and pests.

TM Agricultural is an environmentally safe technology that helps restore and rejuvenate the soil to a fertile state.

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In the short term, chemical fertilizers increase yield.

However, in the long term the use of fertilizer strips the soil of essential organisms and nutrients. This increases the cost of inputs and reduces profit.

Costs of unhealthy and compacted soil:

• Weakplantsthataresusceptibleto disease and pests, increasing the dependence on and cost of fungicides and pesticides.

• Soilthatisdeficientinnutrients,which leads to the increased dependence on, and cost of fertilizer.

• Soilthatishardandcompactedis difficult to till. This leads to increased cost of fuel, and wear and tear on machinery.

• Compactedsoildoesnotabsorborretain water, which increases the need for water and cost of energy for irrigation.

• Depletedsoilissusceptibletoerosion, leading to decreased yield, and unreliable future profitability of land investment.

• Weakunhealthyplantsattractinghigher likelihood of pests

• Decreasedcropyield and profitability

We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children. “Native proverb”

The Cost of Unhealthy Soil:

• Cropssusceptible to pests and disease.• Decreasedprofitability.

The overuse of chemical fertilizers strip the soil of important bacteria and microbial organisms. This leads to nutrient deficient, compacted soil, an unhealthy environment for plants and reduced profits.

The twentieth century had to solve the challenge of providing a safe and secure food supply to over six billion people. Increasing competition for prime agricultural land due to urban development added a further complication: a need for high-yield crops in limited space.

Chemical fertilizers became the solution and the norm in latter 20th century agricultural practice.

Unfortunately repeated, overuse of chemical fertilizers to increase yield strips the soil of fundamental organisms and nutrients. This disrupts the balanced relationship between soil, plant and the ecosystem leading to decreased soil fertility. Soil becomes hard and compacted, unable to retain moisture or sustain healthy plant growth.

As the soil becomes depleted, it creates a positive environment for disease and pests, putting already weakened plants even more at risk. To sustain yields, more chemical fertilizer, fungicides and pesticides are needed, creating a costly cycle of soil nutrient depletion and fertilizer dependence.

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Characteristics of TM AgriculturalFrom the information and observations made to-date, TM Ag would appear to have the following characteristics:

• Increases microbial diversity and activity

• Promotes plant growth

• Promotes the root system

• Decreases the susceptibility to insect/pest attack

• Reduces the use of insecticides, pesticides and fungicides

• Helps to buffer and improve the efficiency of herbicides/insecticides/fungicide sprays

• Promotes N fixing leguminous nodules and probably free-living N fixing bacteria

• Improves the efficiency of nutrient uptake

• Acts as a nutrient regulator – for example reducing high sodium levels

• Helps to neutralise acidic soils

• Acts as a soil conditioner − improves soil structure, porosity, colour and air capacity of the soil

• Promotes crop vigour and persistence

• Increases soil carbon

• Decreases water repellency (soil hydrophobicity)

• Reduces the susceptibility of crops and pastures to frost damage

Collectively, the above characteristics provide farmers and agricultural consultants with a powerful tool to significantly lift on-farm performance while at the same time decreasing the farm’s environmental footprint, both in terms of reducing nutrient loss, greenhouse gas emissions and sequestering soil carbon.

BEST Environmental Technologies have applied TM Agricultural (a biological activator) to split paddocks on a wide variety of soils in different climatic zones under different land uses including dairy, dry stock, cereal cropping, beans, cotton, tea, and forestry etc.

Graham ShepherdSoil Scientist/Agricultural AdvisorBioAgriNomics Ltd

Bruce Campbell knew he was onto a good thing when his forage crop turned off milk tooth steers worth

over $1000.

The Upper Murray beef producer strip grazed a mob of 80 Charolais-cross steers on a 28ha ryegrass and leafy

turnip forage crop over summer, resulting in average daily weight gains of over 2kg

Bruce had sown the leafy turnip (a cross between Chinese cabbage and a turnip) in September and applied

a foliar soil rejuvenator at 250mls/ha.

“I grazed that crop almost all summer and it turned off magnificent calves,’’ he said.

Bruce puts the crop health down to the soil rejuvenator, TM Agricultural, which uses plant extracts to

stimulate indigenous soil microbes. He has been applying it twice a year across hay paddocks and those

subject to high stocking rates, such as calving paddocks.

About five years ago, Bruce couldn’t believe his eyes when his son, Scott, applied a test strip of TM Ag on a

paddock at his Albury district farm. “The pasture height was a foot higher than the untreated section – I just

couldn’t believe it,’’ he said.

For the full story visit

www.bestenvirotech.com.au

Bruce finds the best mix to beef up the profits:

Farmer observations:“Our pastures are now holding on

longer, the plants look healthier, the soil is softer to walk on and the

earth worms have gone ballistic.”

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TM is a powerful tool to significantly lift on-farm performance and reduce a farm’s environmental footprint..

Aphid resistance proves profitable in crop trial:

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Tony finds best options for pastures to berries:

Farmer observations:

Barley treated with a soil rejuvenator proved resistant to aphid attack and resulted in a $15 a hectare saving

for a central NSW farming enterprise.

The irrigated crop grown by Wyalong Rural Investments, between Forbes and West Wyalong, suffered

minimal damage in an aphid infestation last spring.

A neighboring barley crop, just metres away and treated conventionally, was impacted by the aphids and

subsequently sprayed at a cost of $15/ha.

The soil rejuvenator, TM Agricultural, was used as part of an independent trial by Forbes agricultural

consultants, Agribusiness Plus, to test new technology and product performance in the field.

At tillering, Mr Dickson measured 880 heads per square metre and observed roots at a greater depth than

the untreated crop.

“The surrounding barley not treated with TM Agricultural was crawling with aphids compared to the treated

crop where insect numbers were 1-2 a square metre,’’ he said.

“The untreated barley was sprayed at a cost of $15/ha (including contractor costs at $8.50/ha) for the aphids

and the insect damage set it back quite a bit.’’

For the full story visit

www.bestenvirotech.com.au

“TM is a powerful tool to significantly lift on-farm performance and reduce a farm’s environmental

footprint..”

A hefty $30,000 saving on his fertilizer bill, improved plant vigor and ground cover has resulted in a healthy

triple bottom line for North East farmer Tony Iaria.

The Iaria family run a diverse enterprise mix – a 300-cow dairy, a Limousin stud, fodder crops, chestnuts,

cherries, hazelnuts, and a pick-your-own berry orchard.

With rising fuel, machinery and labour costs compounded by lower farm-gate returns, Tony looked for ways

of driving down production costs across all enterprises.

He found a solution in the organically certified soil rejuvenator, TM Agricultural, which uses plant extracts to

stimulate indigenous soil microbes.

He simply applies the TM Ag as a liquid spray at 250mls/ha two to three times a year on all crops and

pastures – on the chestnut orchard alone the fertilizer bill has been slashed from $35,000 to $1500 a year.

“It’s good to be able to say that TM is an organic registered input,’’ he said.“Regardless of what field of agriculture we are in, it all starts with healthier soil.“ I’m convinced with TM Ag that the results speak for themselves and, with input costs escalating and

farmgate prices coming down, whatever I can save is a bonus.’

For the full story visit

www.bestenvirotech.com.au

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BEST provides positive environmental products, systems and technologies that

have been tested and proven successful on many continents on a wide range of soils,

climates and agricultural products.

Best was established in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada in 1999, and has expanded

operations throughout North America, Australia, New Zealand, Europe, Africa,

and Asia. Our international distribution network ensures our clients access to our

services, information and products.

Best is dedicated to developing technologies, products and systems that are based on solid research and that will help provide a secure, sustainable food

supply for a rapidly growing population.

TM Agricultural is made from all natural sources and remains in a natural state. There are no chemicals used in the manufacturing of TM Ag. TM Ag can be applied safely to all vegetation and on all soil types.

TM Ag should be applied with a minimum of 30L/ha water or more when used with ground spraying equipment.

Rainfall increases the benefits of TM Ag once the product is in the soil or on the plant. The use of

non-chlorinated water is recommended.

Second application: 250ml/ha

Is done in crop with herbicide application, TM Ag can be safely mixed with most herbicides and insecticides. Use 30L/ha of water or greater.

b) Forage Crops and Pasture

• TM Ag can be applied after cutting or grazing at a rate of 250ml/hectare mixed with water. A second application can be made after the next cutting or grazing is complete.

• Excellent results have been achieved when applying TM Ag during a rain event.

• TM Ag has no withholding period for animals as it is a natural product.

Do not tank mix TM Ag with fungicides

TM Agricultural Application Guidelines for Agriculture

Timing of application for field crops:

a) Cereals, Pulses, and Oilseeds First Application: 250ml/ha

• For best results apply to soil 2 to 8 weeks prior to planting with adequate soil moisture, especially on non-wetting soils.

• Can be tank mixed with most herbicides, insecticides and fertilizers. Use 30L/ha of water or greater.

• Can be used as a seed pickle, 250ml will treat enough seed to plant 1 ha. Using at least 20 parts water to 1 part TM Ag. Use seed in 72 hrs or less. Do not mix with a fungicide.

• Can be injected into seed row with water or with fertilizer at 250ml/ha

w w w . b e s t e n v i r o t e c h . c o m . a u

Disclaimer: Every care has been taken in compiling this information to ensure accuracy of the observations supplied by the farmer to Best Enviromental Technologies P/L and Media outlets. These observations are independant of Best Enviromental Technologies P/L, no responsibility is accepted by Best for any errors or misdescription.

For more information

call Best on 1 800 455 237

or visit

www.bestenvirotech.com.au

Best Environmental

Technologies Australia Pty Ltd

ABN: 51 121 414 917

18 Copford Rd

Goulburn NSW 2580

Phone: 02 4822 5536

Fax: 02 4822 5537

Toll Free: 1 800 455 237