Growing organic soya beans on the New South Wales North Coast

By Chris Layland

Growing soya beans organically involves different techniques to conventional production, because organic farming methods are designed to regenerate the soil and our environment. Artificial fertilisers are out and harmful chemical sprays. Here is an introduction to the different techniques for growing soya beans organically on the North Coast.

Fertilisers

NSW Department of Agriculture list the major nutrient requirements of soya beans: Nitrogen - 0, phosphorus- 30 and potassium - 50 (kg/ha). No nitrogen is needed because soya beans are legumes and therefore fix their own nitrogen. In a non-closed system these can be supplied with organic fertiliser inputs. The best source of phosphorus is Soft Rock Phosphate and Guano. These also provide calcium, silica, iron and a host of micro nutrients. Potassium can be supplied using Sulphate of Potash. Calcium, although not considered so important in conventional production, it is important especially on the darker basaltic soils. As these soils are high in magnesium, more calcium is needed to maintain a healthy calcium magnesium ratio. Calcium is cheaply available from lime or natural gypsuim. Sulphur, needed for heavier soils, is available through sulphate fertilizers, for example potash and trace elementsin sulphate form. Organic fertiliser application of soya beans is more expensive than conventional.

Cheaply available lime or natural gypsum form sulphur, needed for heavier soils is available through applying sulphate fertilisers, for example potash and trace elements in sulphate form.

Seed

Seed is readily available. Black eyed varieties are mainly used in this area, but for processing you really need white of clear helium varieties, for example soya 791, Dragon, and new Manta/Warrigal crosses are to be released soon.

Land preparation and planting

Similar to conventional production but an emphasis must be put on soil conservation. Planting October to January. Similar costs to conventional, but wider row spacings are required (up to 36 inches) for mechanical weeding.

Weeding

Yields can be reduced by up to 80% without effective control of weeds, especially within the first 8 weeks. Conventionally, herbicides are used to a cost of up to $80 per ha.. Organically mechanical weeding is the preferred option. Ranging from reasonably cheap - tractor with mounted tynes, to the more expensive and elaborate weeding machines. Usually two to three passes through the crop cycle is all that is required. Actual savings can be made using mechanical weeding as opposed to herbicides.

Pest control

Organic rule - first and foremost, healthy soil equals healthy plants, which equals unstressed plants and therefore greater resilience and resistance to insect and disease attack.

Some organic back up options

* Heliothis and loopers (caterpillars) - B.T insecticide. Timing is critical. A powder form is used which is lethal to caterpillars. The caterpillars just need to consume a small amount. Soya bean leaf can deal with 35 - 40 % damage pre-flower without considerably affecting yield. However flowers and pods need vigilant protection. Monitoring needs to take place, and B.T needs to be sprayed on egg layers or hatchlings. New hatchlings (grub 1 mm long) only need to consume a little to be killed. Large caterpillars need to consume more.

* Green vegetable bug. This is the other major pest of soya beans. At is a hard devil to control organically, and any soya crop would need to have a very high vitality to survive this bugs' attack. Climate conditions determine the severity of bug population build-ups. Unfortunately the best climatic conditions for this bug coincides with a critical time in the soya bean cycle. I have found Neem oil to be only effective on young nymphs, with little effect on adult Green vegetable bugs. A last defence is Pyrethrum, if you can buy the pure form. Unfortunately Pyrethrum also kills your beneficial insects as well. The Green vegetable bugs are also quite shy and seek shelter when disturbed, and are therefore harder to spray. Another solution - Diamotaceous earth - is currently under testing.

Organic insecticides have short effective lives in the field and therefore need to be sprayed more frequently. There is usually a higher cost for organic insect control, but your success also depends on the health of your soil.

Yields

Around my area, Kyogle and Casino, on the darker, heavier basaltic soils well grown crops usually obtain 1 - 1.5 tonnes per acre (2.5 - 4 tonnes per ha). On current prices, to obtain the same gross for organic production compared to conventional, yields would have to be one third of conventional. In fact a good organic system should be yielding more than a conventional crop anyway.

Harvest and transport

Harvesting occurs between April and May. This is usually the finish of the wet season, and wet harvests can be problem. Special transport arrangements are needed for organic produce. Trucks need pre-cleaning to avoid any chemical residue contamination and then trucked to an organic processing factory.

Positives

* environmentally sustainable broad acre crop practices
* wholesome nutritional food
* ready and under supplied market
* high prices paid
* processors want to increase production and provide services of contracts, agronomists and advice
* other organic winter rotational crops for processing possible
* having certified organic land in a future where the demand for organic food is escalating globally
* sense of well being which comes from knowing that you are caring for the land
* ready and under supplied market

Negatives

* Can take three years to become 'A' grade certified. In conversion beans may have to be sold on the conventional market at conventional prices.
* mechanical weeding on the North Coast during the wet season
* under current organic standards, parallel cropping (growing an organic and conventional crop next to each other on the same farm) is not permitted by the certifying bodies

Summary

For existing conventional farmers, with an interest in sustainable farming, this could be a market opportunity. Existing farmers already have most of the equipment needed and the knowledge and growing experience. For existing organic growers with suitable land, contractors can be reasonably obtained to do most jobs, although your own mechanical weeding system would be an advantage.

The information provided is an overview and believed to be reliable at the time of writing. However prospective growers need to undertake extra research by contacting NSW Agriculture, Queensland Department of Primary Industry, Australian Oilseeds Federation, Kialla and experienced growers.

Readers' Comments

Be very careful when purchasing soybean seed. Although organic seed does exist there is far more Genetically modified seed out there poisoning the market. When selling pre certified harvest you should be able to get significantly higher prices than conventional due to the fact that you are transitional and can no doubt show evidence of organic seed usage. Crop rotation is the key to healthy soil, remember that where you are planting now should not be where you are planting in 3 years when you have gained certification, meaning you must be prepared to have chemical free soil in your new planting zone. Be careful with mecahnical weeding too, the idea of organic principles is to reduce energy output in return for higher yields, compost and mulch amongst the crops will be more effective and beneficial to your plants, whereas machines compacting the soil reduce your arable crop land. Always return to the land what you don't use. Once the bean is collected put the stalks back on the cropped land to keep the nitrogen balance and protect the soil. If this is not practical supply it to an organic compost maker or organic farmer in exchange for some compost which you can apply to the soil instead. Organi soybean is available but is in short supply so use the internet to advertise your product or search out buyers. Always think local market first, keeping your local economy alive is more important than overseas markets, anything that is good enough for export should be seen as a bonus not the norm. Think organic supply not organic dollars. The more organic consumption in your locality the healthier the people and the healthier the environment.
Good luck, happy growing. Keep the balance.

Contributed by wasp@zfree.co.nz on June 13, 2001.

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