MaxSil proves its worth on highly sodic and saline SA, Eyre Peninsula soils

An untreated area of Keenan Bury’s paddock on the left remains bare while on the right a healthy emergence of wheat has emerged from the MaxSil-coated seeds.

MaxSil, a new potent, world class silicon-based plant nutrient, is proving its worth this season for SA, Eyre Peninsula cereal and legume grower Keenan Bury.

After planting a wheat crop this season into highly sodic and saline soils on a “soak/salt lake”, the Wudinna farmer says he is rapt with the results so far after using MaxSil-coated seed.

In an email to MaxSil managing director David Archer, Mr Bury congratulated him on developing the novel nutrient fertiliser.

In a series of trials last season MaxSil yielded harvestable crops of barley on similarly affected saline land in Western Australia.

Mr Bury said the area planted to wheat this season had previously not even germinated any weeds. Now it had a good stand of wheat on it, which hadn’t happened in years.

His post on Twitter with photos showing the control area devoid of any gemination and the MaxSil treated land with a healthy stand of wheat, has so far generated more than 5000 views.

Mr Bury said he had also fielded “lots of phone calls with people in the region looking at trying it (MaxSil) next year”.

The crop was sown at 55kg a hectare and with an application of 100kg a ha of Di-Ammonium (DAP) and sulphate of ammonia (SOA) fertiliser.

“MaxSil has sort of brought that region back from the dead in a way,” he said.

“Between the salinity and the calcareous nature of the soil there isn't many options.”

Mr Bury said MaxSil had made it possible to get a stand of wheat, which was the first step in lowering the water table and recovering the soil.

“It's exciting to see how it will progress throughout the season and into next year’s lentil rotation.”  

MaxSil national sales agronomist Andrew Kennett said the result was proof that MaxSil seed-coated cereals could grow in heavy, sodic/saline soils thanks to the action of the high level of plant available silicon (PAS) in MaxSil, which blocked the uptake of salts, allowing seedlings to germinate and grow.

“The soils have a history of near total non productivity due to being highly sodic and saline in a calcareous environment despite having reasonable macronutrient levels.

“Even saline tolerant plants are non existent therefore limiting organic matter.

“This rules out applications of calcium based compounds such as lime and gypsum, which are often used to help flush out salts.”

Mr Kennett said over time the use of MaxSil would help facilitate a build up of organic matter in the soil.

For more information contact MaxSil managing director David Archer on 0411 862 647