ECTOL is a family owned business, created by farmers, for farmers. The company manufactures and supplies a range of natural and organic nutrition inputs, including plant protectants and soil amendments, for agriculture and horticulture.
ECTOL products are different. They are designed to efficiently nourish trees, crops, and pasture, resulting in less chemical fertiliser use, greater productivity, and sustainable farming.
Across Australia, many farmers are starting to consider more natural or organic farming practices. However, the transition can be met with uncertainty, with farmers concerned about meeting their nutritional requirements and ultimately, maintaining yield targets and profitability.
Developed with over 20 years of research and trials in Australia and New Zealand, ECTOL helps take the guesswork out of implementing more sustainable farming practices.
In response to the demand for Australian organic food and products, ECTOL has recently introduced a full range of certified organic inputs, based on their core nutrition range.
“Certified organic farming can be a costly and time-consuming process. At ECTOL, we support farmers to make this transition, by providing cost-effective solutions that create efficiencies and boost production,” said John McKay, ECTOL Agricultural Scientist.
From small household operations, to commercial agriculture and horticulture, ECTOL has a prescription to suit all types of organic farmers, with products available in various sizes, for use on any green plant.
This year, ECTOL introduced their newest organic input, AGB-Slow Release N+TE, which provides 9.2% certified organic nitrogen, an essential nutrient for plant growth.
With amine from organically certified plant extracts, this nutrient provides nitrogen in a formulation that is more readily accepted by plants, avoiding all the problems associated with acidification from ammonium nitrogen, losses, and animal health issues associated with nitrates.
Russell Crow, a dairy farmer in Victoria, is already reaping the benefits of this input on his dairy and chicken farm, which transitioned to certified organic almost five years ago.
“I’ve been farming organically since 2016 and until now, I’ve haven’t been able to find a certified organic, liquid nitrogen input,” he said.
“One of the difficulties in organic farming is solving plant or soil problems quickly and cost-effectively. If I have a nitrogen problem and do not have adequate compost on hand, it can be months before I am able to tend to it properly, which can cause bigger issues on-farm,” he said.
“With a slow-release, liquid nitrogen input, I’m able to do a foliar application, which means I don’t have to rely on rain, in order for the plant to take-up the nutrients.”
“There are no quick-fixes in organic farming but finding way to get the job done more efficiently, to the same organic specifications, is a really big win for us,” he added.
Russell applied 10 litres per hectare of AGB Slow-Release Nitrogen from ECTOL Plant & Crop Nutrients in July 2020. In just over a month, Russell noted a visible lift in his crops and pastures.
After 20 years of creating sustainable farming solutions for farmers, ECTOL is proud to have a fully certified range of organic inputs. The team are passionate about science working in harmony with nature, and hope to see more people make the transition to organic farming in the future.
“We believe in healthy plants, healthy animals and healthy soils, without farmers having to incur additional costs or risk profitability. “We have created a range of products that not only help people to make the transition to more sustainable farming, but to go all the way to becoming certified organic,” said Mr McKay.
All liquid products are available in 1000L, 200L & 20L and will mix with most crop protection products. Apply via foliar spray, fertigation, or irrigation.
For more information visit www.ectol.com or phone John McKay on 0438 918 135
