Biostart :: Digester

How it works:

Digester is applied directly on to prunings and/or crop trash and works by activating the decomposition microbes already present in vineyard, orchard or paddock.

Digester is widely used in New Zealand vineyards, orchards and other horticultural crops to promote the rapid breakdown of pruning’s, leaf litter, old roots and post-harvest crop trash.

The benefits of using Digester:

Efficient return of nutrients and organic matter to the soil improves plant nutrition, increases the soil’s cation exchange capacity (CEC) as well as the soil’s water holding capacity.
Improved soil aeration and root growth by breaking down old roots in mature orchards and vineyards.
Reduces disease pressure in the following crop by reducing the ability of many fungal and bacterial pathogens to bridge between crops on crop residue.

In annual crops, the breaking down of crop trash makes it easier to prepare seed beds, reduces blockages of seed drills and improves accurate seed placement.

Key features:

Reduces the opportunity for disease over wintering.
Speeds up crop residue, pruning and leaf litter decomposition.
Improves nutrient recycling.
Improves soil structure.

Directions for use:

Apply Digester directly on to crop trash or prunings
Needs soil moisture/rain and active soil biology
Digester can be tank mixed with herbicides, fertigation nutrients and suspension fertiliser
Digester can be applied through fertigation systems and through overhead irrigation systems fitted with an appropriate system.
In low organic matter soils, low fertility soils or after drought add technical grade ammonium sulphate at 30 kg/ha
For best results avoid applying Digester in the heat of the day.

Digester Trial

Boost maize yield & returns.

> Read more

Speed up decomposition

Kiwifruit leaf litter trial.

> Read more

Directions for use:

Crop	Timing	Application rate
Grapes and Berries	Post-pruning or leaf fall; or at mulching	Standard programme: Apply 2 L/ha Premium Programme or for heavy disease overwintering, cut-out diseased vineyards, compacted or water-logged soil: Apply 4 L/ha
Pipfruit, Stonefruit, Kiwifruit, Citrus, and Avocados	Added to first post harvest herbicide	Autumn/ Post-harvest; Post-pruning and/or leaf fall
Nuts	Prior to Harvest	Low organic matter soils fertigation programme: Apply 2 L/ha via fertigation or with the last weed spray prior to harvest. Standard fertigation programme: Apply 4 L/ha via fertigation or with the last weed spray prior to harvest.
Vegetables Including sweetcorn	Post harvest	Apply 4 L/ha in a minimum of 200 L of water applied over crop trash to the soil. For crops with heavy disease over-wintering e.g. asparagus apply 6 L/ha in a minimum of 200 L of water.
Maize and Cereal Silage stubble	Post harvest	Post harvest Apply 2 L/ha in a minimum 200 L of water to the soil during or after stubble incorporation.
Cereal grain crops with low stubble levels (e.g. wheat, canola, pulses)	Post harvest	Apply 2 L/ha in a minimum of 200 L of water to soil during or after stubble incorporation.
Grain crops with high stubble levels (e.g. maize, sorghum, sugarcane)	Post harvest	Apply 4 L/ha in a minimum of 200 L of water to soil during or after stubble incorporation.
Pasture and Turf	At spray out	Apply 2 L/ha in a minimum of 200 L of water sprayed with the herbicide.