Congratulations to our Slasher Spring Giveaway winner for 2023, Sigurd Howard, pictured here gladly receiving his prize from OCP Territory Sales Manager VIC/TAS, Neil Hinchey. Sigurd is an organic vegetable farmer in Bunyip , Victoria.
A big shout out to Nutrien Yarra Valley, one of our amazing resellers and Sigurd’s place of purchase for this promotion.
Thanks again to all for supporting our Slasher product and entering our Spring Giveaway competition!
Thanks to all that entered our Slasher Spring Giveaway Competition. We had many amazing entries.
Congratulations to our winner, Sigurd Howard, of Bunyip River Garlic in Victoria who has won 1000L of Slasher Organic Weedkiller!
Here is Sigurd’s winning response:
“We use Slasher on our organic market garden for excellent weed control on the inter rows and also fence line and fallow sprays. We find it excellent in young weeds and it has saved us literally days and weeks of weeding.
Most importantly, the certification, safety and lesser environmental impact of Slasher is what makes it so good! Amazing product!”
Sigurd is an organic vegetable farmer in Bunyip , Victoria We will be in touch soon to organise delivery of your shuttle of Slasher to your reseller, Nutrien Yarra Valley, another one of our amazing customers.
Thanks again to all for supporting our Slasher product and entering our Spring Giveaway competition !
Since the discovery of Fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) on the Australian mainland in February 2020, FAW has left a trail of destruction across many of our economically significant crops. Industry and Government have acted quickly in an attempt to support growers to deal with this pest. OCP also responded quickly by making available lures and traps to monitor for the presence of the pest while engaging with our innovative Tech partners at Andermatt Biocontrol & ISCATech to come up with a suite of IPM focused options.
As a global leader in insect virus products like Helicovex®, Andermatt Biocontrol continues to work on the discovery and supply of the latest biological controls including SfNPV called Spodovir® Plus. This virus is highly selective to FAW and work in Canada is demonstrating very good efficacy against this pest. We are excited to announce that OCP have recently obtained AQIS clearance to test Spodovir Plus in Australia with the support of QLD DPI. OCP is also working with Andermatt and AQIS to allow us to access another potential biological control option based on Metarhizium rileyi called Nomu-Protec®. This product is a naturally occurring entomopathogenic fungi which will be an excellent biological control partner with Spodovir Plus.
Controlling FAW comes with many challenges simply due to the intensity of the population pressure. One of the ways to deal with the population is to kill the moths before they can produce any offspring. ISCATech and OCP have been investigating the supply and use of their product ACTTRA® FAW, which has demonstrated amazing results in Bt Corn in Brazil both on its own and in combination with ISCATech’s mating disruption product SPLAT® FAW. ACTTRA FAW is highly attractive to FAW and when mixed with an appropriate toxicant, is highly efficacious against FAW moths. We are currently working on trial protocols and working with industry for access to Minor Use Permits for appropriate toxicants. Watch this space for further updates!
Plant parasitic nematodes represent a huge hidden cost to Australian producers and turf managers. It has been estimated that in Australia up to 19 million hectares of cultivated land and amenity turf is negatively impacted by parasitic nematodes. Crop yield losses were estimate back in 1992 to be upwards of $300 million per year (Stirling et al. 1992) which would be significantly higher using todays numbers.
Plant parasitic nematodes infest and damage plant roots which reduces crop yields and downgrades the quality of turf playing surfaces. Many producers and turf professionals, however, are reluctant to treat the problem due to the difficulties associated with handling and applying toxic nematicides and soil fumigants. At last there is a safe and effective treatment using the power of one of nature’s most potent nematocidal compounds called polysulphides.
Eco-nemguard™ was developed from many years of research funded by UK based company Ecospray. Their researched focused on the question why some garlic extracts have pesticidal effects and others have little to no effect. They discovered that garlic extracts with high bio-efficacy also had very high levels of polysulphide compounds. Armed with this new knowledge, Ecospray went about optimising their garlic extract formulation so that the final product had the highest possible levels of polysulphides that could be extracted from naturally sourced garlic. The final Eco-nemguard™ product has a guaranteed level of 26 g/L of polysulphides.
Eco-nemguard™ is registered for the management of nematodes in all vegetable crops and turf situations. Because polysulphides are naturally occurring they breakdown readily in soil leaving little to no residual effect. This is a very important and positive attribute of the product. Eco-nemguard™ rapidly knocks down plant parasitic nematode populations while minimising any long-term effects on soil biodiversity and fertility. Ideally this is the aim of modern pest management which reduces the negative side effects on the soil ecosystem and as a result reduces other input costs in the long term. No residual effects also mean that users can be confident that any potential spills or treated soil running off into sensitive environmental areas will not cause catastrophic impacts long term.
Eco-nemguard™ is soft on plant roots with little to no burning effects on sensitive root hairs and root tips. This highly flexible application feature, along with no withholding periods and no long re-entry restrictions, makes eco-nemguard™ a valuable tool in managing nematodes throughout the crop cycle. Combining eco-nemguard™ with pre-plant nematicides is also an effective management strategy in heavily nematode infested soils or where cropping cycles are very long.
Eco-nemguard™ is available in 10L containers as a concentrated liquid and in 20 kg bags as a free-flowing granular product (eco-nemguard™ G) making it easy to apply eco-nemguard™ anytime and anywhere plant parasitic nematodes are a problem in vegetables and turf. Call your OCP Territory Manager for more information.
Reference
Stirling, G.R., Stanton, J.M. and Marshall, J.W. (1992) The importance of plant-parasitic nematodes to Australian and New Zealand agriculture Australasian Plant Pathology 21: 104-115
During a time when a lot of us have been in lock down, the OCP product development team have been locked away working on improving our eco-flo range of highly concentrated flowable gypsum, lime and dolomite products. Working with the product development team at DuluxGroup, OCP have come up with what they believe to be a real innovation in flowable corrective soil amendments.
Innovation Manager at OCP Gary Leeson said “The greatest challenge for the development team was to come up with a formulation that was highly concentrated and stable but also met the strict environmental requirements of Australian Certified Organic. The end result is a range of products that are both easy to use but surpass the standard ecological safety for liquid soil amendments and fertilisers”.
eco-flo gypsum – As we all know gypsum is very important to soil structure, reducing the impacts of sodium, improving the aeration and infiltration of irrigation water; and reducing Al3+ toxicity in acid sub-soils. The ability to apply gypsum through irrigation or spray booms using the eco-flo technology makes it very easy to apply gypsum anytime throughout the crop cycle. This also applied to eco-flo lime & dolomite.
Unlike the previous eco-flo gypsum formulation, the new and improved formulation contains a very high level of mined calcium sulphate rather than a combination of elemental sulfur and limestone. The advantage that the new eco-flo gypsum has over the old formulation is calcium availability. Calcium is up to two hundred times more soluble in mined gypsum than in limestone. This make eco-flo gypsum much faster acting and with the added benefit of 5 micron particle size, the distribution and soil contact of eco-flo gypsum is greatly enhanced.
eco-flo lime – OCP have worked hard to keep the very high level of suspended calcium carbonate in the new formulation, allowing growers to continue to benefit from the 40% w/v of calcium. This makes eco-flo lime a very versatile and cost-effective irrigated soil treatment for dealing with acidic soils while delivering a high concentration of slow release calcium to the soil and plant.
eco-flo dolomite – Once again the OCP development team were able to achieve a very high loading of magnesium carbonate and calcium carbonate to produce a product containing 25% w/v calcium and 13% w/v magnesium. eco-flo dolomite is the perfect soil treatment for calcium and magnesium deficient soils, while also reducing soil acidity.
The eco-flo range will be available late 2020 and will be sold in easy to pour 15L pails and 800L shuttles. It makes a lot of sense to go with the eco-flo.
Thanks to all that entered our Slasher Spring Giveaway competition.
Congratulations to all winners:
Amenity Horticulture prize winners – Winners of a Solo 417 18L Backpack Battery Powered Sprayer!
Tanya Gordon of NSW
Simon Galkin of NSW
Jason Dexter of NSW
Organic Grower’s prize winners – They will have their Annual Organic Producer Certification Audit fee paid by OCP!
Valentino Comelli of Victoria
Murray Gomm of WA
Adam Bremner of Victoria
Nick Farr of Victoria
Bioconventional Grower prize winners – They have won a $1000 OCP coupon!
David Beutel of QLD
Rose Lindber of SA
Ben Pohlner of Victoria.
Thanks again for supporting our Slasher product and entering our Spring Giveaway competition!
A WORLD FIRST trial using BeeDAR technology to track bee pollination activity in Almonds trees treated with APIS BLOOM bee attractant proves beyond any doubt that you can increase pollination activity in Almonds using APIS BLOOM!
The attached map shows at the top of the page the block treated with APIS BLOOM using our mechanical SPLATAGATOR and at the bottom is the untreated block. You will see that the red zones, or area of low bee pollination activity is a least 50% less in the APIS BLOOM treated paddock. The other amazing detail is that the number of hives and health of the hives closest to the APIS BLOOM block was much lower than the untreated area so you would normally expect much lower pollination activity in this block. We can now conclude that even under low hive numbers and hive health, APUS BLOOM has the ability to enhance bee pollination activity
APIS BLOOM is considered to be a very cost effective bee pollination enhancer in crops like raspberries. However, in large scale horticultural crops like Almonds, a greater level of scrutiny is needed when it comes to whether APIS BLOOM is doing its job in the field. It has always been difficult to determine how bees are moving through a crop and if they are going to all the trees evenly throughout the field. OCP have teamed up with BeeInnovative and their Bee radar technology to track bee movement and time spent in Almond trees in real time. We are hoping that the results from this work will provide value insights as to how APIS BLOOM can help Almond producers cost effectively use bees to pollinate their crops.
We’re super excited that Slasher Organic Weedkiller has picked up not one but two prestigious awards! After 10 years of research and product development it’s incredibly rewarding to have our work recognised by these awards. Here are the details:
- Organic Product of the Year – 2017 Organic Consumer Choice Awards
- Organic Product of the Year (Non-Food) – 2017 Australian Organic Annual Awards for Excellence
Slasher was one of 18 finalists in the Organic Consumer Choice Awards which are voted for by the public. Once all votes were tallied Slasher was the standout winner. Big thanks to all that voted!!! It is particularly satisfying to see so much public support for the product given the short time it has been on the market. It’s a further sign that more and more people are opting for safe organic options compared to questionable chemicals.
The Australian Organic Annual Awards for Excellence are run by Australia’s largest organic certifying organisation Australian Organic (formerly called the Biological Farmers of Australia – BFA). To be shortlisted and then win is a big nod from the organic industry that Slasher is a quality product. Weeds are one of the biggest challenges facing organic farmers and we are pleased that Slasher is there to help.
Learn more about Slasher by visiting the Slasher product page.
Last week saw a world first being witnessed in South Australia under the watchful eye of James Gardner (OCP Senior Agronomist) and the team from Skyline Aviation Group. The first ever trials using a drone (Vapor 55 UAV Helicopter) as a delivery system for SPLAT EC-O Carob moth mating disruption was conducted in an Almond Orchard in SA. The trial had a number of minor technical issues, including the wind but eventually the drone was able to deliver the payload effectively and efficiently.
The time spent in the field was invaluable for OCP and the Skyline team to understand the nuances of flying drones in tree crops while accurately delivering a product like SPLAT. Overall the trial went very well and with a few adjustments to the system we are all very confident that Skyline will be delivering SPLAT all over the country for Carob moth, Light Brown Apple moth, Codling Moth and Oriental Fruit moth next season.
The Organic folk have spoken! SLASHER Organic Weedkiller has been named Peoples Choice Organic Product Of The Year! A big thanks to all of our customers who voted for SLASHER. It means a lot to us as a business that the products we research and develop and put into the market are recognised for their features and performance. With so few alternatives to Glyphosate and other toxic non-selective herbicides, we are so proud of the fact that we can offer our customers a Registered Organic Herbicide that ticks all the boxes.
Banana spotting bug (Amblypelta lutescens) causes major damage to avocados, macadamias, paw paws, limes and many other exotic fruit in Qld. Unlike it’s cousin Fruit spotting bug (A.nitida), BSB is mainly present north of Nambour to Atherton. Up till now growers have found it almost impossible to monitor for his very cryptic bug. Now with the BSB trap and lure, growers can capture nymphs and adults and be able to make spray threshold decisions based on the numbers they are catching on the specially developed sticky boards. The system may look simple but due to the strength of the bug a special glue had to be developed which can stand the test of humidity and sunlight while remaining sticky enough to stop the bugs walking off the boards.
The aggregation lure took Qld DPI years to perfect due to both the nuances of raising the bugs in captivity to conduct the studies but also the very complex chemical ecology and anatomy of the bug. The BSB trap is sold as single units or as a pack of 10 which is enough to monitor the insect over 1 ha of crop for a 6 week period. It is expected that over time growers can reduce the number of traps as they build up knowledge of where the hot spots are so that the concentration of traps can be placed in that area. Supplies of the trap will be through your local retail outlet and as usual your local OCP Agronomist will assist you with the technical aspects of the use of the trap.
Go to the TRAPS & LURES for further information.
The Topsnap-trap is made out of high-quality stainless steel and solid plastic. Thanks to its sophisticated mechanism, the trap is very user-friendly and efficient for the control of mice in indoor-areas.
Fields of application
It is important to control mice infestation at an early stage in order to avoid proliferation of mice as well as damage and contamination. Thanks to its robustness and durability, topsnap is suited for long-term use in indoor-areas:
- Stockrooms for food and fodder
- Greenhouses and growing tunnels
- Vegetable and fruit storage areas
- Food processing units
- House and farm
- All mice-infested areas in buildings
Advantages
- Catches mice for years
- Catches two mice at a time before recharging
- Safety aspects: safe for kids and pets; no poison; mice die in the trap and not somewhere where they hide and start to stink
- Trap indicates when a mouse is caught – can see from a distance
- Easy to handle – set in 5 seconds
- Is effective with or without bait
- Dead mouse does not have to be touched or looked at
- High quality materials allows it to be used indoor or outside
After many years of Research and Development and Regulatory hurdles, SLASHER WEEDKILLER is now on the market. Just in time to deal with all the Spring and Summer weeds that are bursting out of the ground after all the recents rains. SLASHER WEEDKILLER contains 525g/L PELARGONIC ACID which occurs natrually in plants. SLASHER WEEDKILLER is the first Pelargonic acid based “burn-down” herbicide developed and made in Australia by OCP. Independant trials have validated that SLASHER WEEDKILLER is considerably more cost effective than the standard Organic weedkillers. It can be used where other herbicides pose signficant risks in terms of public health and safety, drift onto sensitive plants and where soil residues can be taken up by larger trees.
This year OCP turns 25 years old! It might not seem a long time ago but it was way before the internet and emails, facebook, twitter and even before handheld mobile phone were used in Australia. Back then business was done the old fashioned way with a face to face sales call. The founding Director of OCP, Leyland Minter; was the master of the face to face call and I am told by branch managers that by the end of the Leyland Minter sales call you would be believing that he had come up with the idea to put Hydrogen and Oxygen together, his best mate was Albert Einstein amd he had sold you pallet of Synertrol Oil which you has no idea what it did, but you just knew you had to have it!
Back then Synertrol Oil was the only canola oil based adjuvant on the market and was known for its excellent drift retardant and spreading and sticking capabilities. Just like the mobile phones the number of adjuvant options has grown over the years, but Synertrol Oil and its younger cousin Synertrol Horti Oil remain very cost effective 100% Aussie grown canola oil adjuvant. Since the introduction of Synertrol Oil OCP has grown into a multi-million dollar business employing 14 staff and with distribution across all Agricultural, Horticultural and Consumer markets in Australia and with growing markets overseas.
OCP has over 14 APVMA registered pest and disease control products servicing key niche organic and IPM focused market sectors. Over the past 25 years OCP has established a very strong presence in the biostimulant market working with the premium seaweed brand Acadian Seaplants for nearly 20 of those years. The recent introduction of their range of Amino acid based micro-nutrients and high N liquid and powders has seen OCP consolidate its place as a key player in the organic nutrient business in Australia. OCP’s future looks very bright due to its close association with local and foreign companies like Metcalf Biocontrol (Trichoderma), EID Parry (Azadirachtin), Andermatt Switzerland (insect viruses), ISCA (insect pheromones, mating disruption, lure & kill) and Spensa Tech USA’s OpenScout and Z-Trap monitoring technology.
Crop production into the future is all about making well informed decisions about low residue, low risk, low impact products supported by crop health augmentation, this is right in sights of OCP’s field of vision which can only be a good thing for the future of modern food and fibre production in Australia! 