Leading the charge to improve water quality
The analysis from Derrick has meant Ray has been able to make adjustments to many decisions in his day to day farming, such as his fertiliser mix. “I’ve added gypsum to the mix, which is in gib board, as a matter to bind particles in the soil and it’s a good source of magnesium.” It is that sort of thinking that has seen the risk Ray has taken, turn into reward, which is why he is surprised more farmers haven’t jumped at the concept of Derrick.
The correlation between the water analysis, resulting from good environmental management practices and the feed quality and stock health on-farm, should pique all farmers’ interests, he says. By way of example: A recent baleage cut, which a dairy farmer Ray was selling the bales to had estimated he would get 40-50 bales from – he pulled off 90. Only days before he had also taken off works' lambs, which had averaged 21kg. Most farmers would have baleage paddocks closed off for weeks to achieve the best quality cut possible, but Ray had managed to do both, because of the information Derrick was providing him.
There are further improvements planned for Derrick, which he has worked on with his son, Carl. These will include more sensors, a twin cabinet design and testing of dissolved oxygen. The current Derrick is only the prototype. “There is no end goal - I’ll stop when I’m dead,” he says, laughing.
You can read the full Envirosouth magazine as a PDF online here.
