Break Down Plus helping farmers sow their crops sooner

Break Down Plus works in all weather conditions, but is most active in temperatures between 20 and 40 degrees, and won't harm livestock or living plants. Picture supplied

This is branded content for Earthlife Soil Balance

Earthlife Soil Balance has created a non-toxic product that accelerates the breakdown of dead and decaying materials, which means farmers can sow their next crops sooner.

Break Down Plus, which is made from natural bacterial enzymes, initiates and accelerates the breakdown of organic residue and returns nutrients to the soil.

The product can break down crop stubble, compost heaps, lawn or turf thatch, and plant or grasses that have been sprayed with a herbicide.

Earthlife general manager Colin Purnell says Break Down Plus is a more cost effective way of dealing with excess materials, while increasing nutrients in the soil.

"Some farmers will bale up their leftover crops to make extra money, but using Break Down Plus to incorporate this excess back into the soil will increase their organic matter level," Mr Purnell said.

"This is a better idea, so farmers can improve their soil to create better conditions and an environment that will enhance their next crop, instead of removing all the nutrients from their paddocks."

Mr Purnell said Break Down Plus worked in all weather conditions, but was most active in temperatures between 20 to 40 degrees, and wouldn't harm living plants or livestock.

He also said the accelerated breakdown of organic matter to plant available nutrients had several benefits.

"Disease organisms may survive on organic materials until the next season," Mr Purnell said.

"By enhancing the breakdown of crop residue or other plant material, may reduce the survival of these diseased organisms.

"Also, the retardation of germination crop seedling is reduced as Nitrogen availability is enhanced."

Four images of the same land documents how Break Down Plus works over the course of a few months, from slashing to sowing.

Break Down Plus is just one of many products available from Earthlife Soil Balance, which is based in Toowoomba.

Their rock mineral-based soil conditioners and fertilisers are giving farmers a proven alternative that will help enhance growing conditions and product quality on their land.

Earthlife products provide the complete foundation building blocks for a healthy soil environment by addressing the following:

Enhancing Soil Carbon Capture.
The beneficial soil micro-flora.
Broad spectrum mineral depletion in our soil.
Improving the structure of all soil types.
Improving moisture holding capacity.
Providing the basics to create nutrient cycling systems.
Environmental issues and weather extremes.

Mr Purnell said the beginning of Earthlife in 1996 was for him a culmination of a lifelong passion for the land and soil improvement that started from his childhood growing up on a dairy farm.

"The company realises the ultimately very simple and effective solutions to all issues of soil quality, that have tested the resilience of the agricultural industry for many years," Mr Purnell said.

"Mineral depletion and particularly trace mineral depletion was identified as a major problem affecting the quality of soils.

"The Earth Summit Report identified a decline in mineral content of soils in the order of 55 to 85 per cent.

"The other critical issue was improving the water holding capacity of soils in order to improve quality and agricultural yields."

This is branded content for Earthlife Soil Balance