Lono, a specialised nitrogen fertiliser that is efficient and environmentally stable is gaining ground in the Australian tree crop sector as growers seek more sustainable options to improve marketable yields.

Lono was invented by UK-based award-winning scientist and Levity Crop Science managing director Dr David Marks – a world authority on plant physiology and the inventor of more than 30 patented agricultural products.

Lono and other fertilisers in the Levity range have become recently available in Australia and have been used globally since Levity was founded in 2010.

ProdOz crop science technologist Zenon Kynigos – who works closely with farmers across Australia and trained under Dr Marks, said: “It’s shocking how much fertiliser is wasted in our industry.

“With nitrogen, in general, approximately only one-third of what’s applied is used by the crop. Most farmers know that what they are using is not ideal and inefficient, but they’ve had to use what’s available. Crop science is advancing and we’re now able to give farmers another option, one that’s more beneficial to their crop and the environment.”

Lono was developed specifically to help farmers achieve productivity gains efficiently whilst being environmentally friendly. Lono uses LimIn technology, a process patented by Levity to hold nitrogen in the amine form.

“Using nitrogen in the amine form is a concept that will be new to most Australian farmers – ammonium and nitrate being the two forms which are widely used,” Mr Kynigos said.

“The production of plant hormones, particularly auxins and cytokinins, influences where a plant allocates growth – nitrate promotes auxin which encourages vegetative growth, whereas amine promotes cytokinins which encourages reproductive growth (roots, flowers and fruits).

“Conventional nitrogen fertilisers can damage the environment in several ways – through water pollution, soil degradation, air pollution or greenhouse gas emissions for example.

“Lono addresses this by being stabilised in a unique way to stop leaching and volatilisation. This stabilisation also ultimately renders the nitrogen unrecognisable to the bacteria that would normally reduce it to nitrate, improves its efficiency by staying in the amine form (12 times more carbon-efficient than nitrate) and encourages more reproductive growth.

“Lono’s effect on plants is well documented in the peer-reviewed scientific literature, with multiple publications on different crops. Levity believes in the importance of scientific proof. Farmers around the world have been using Lono successfully for years and we’re seeing our own excellent results in Australia,” Mr Kynigos said.

“The product was developed for large-scale crops such as orchard, vineyard, broadacre vegetable and grain crops and more but it has found a place in smaller scale growing such as hydroponic and glasshouse production. In the tree crop space, it is in use in orchards throughout Australia, including avocados, cherries and citrus.

“Lono can be foliar-applied or via irrigation. With both methods, it’s quickly absorbed by the plants. It works well on seedlings and at transplanting to achieve good root growth and establishment. It’s recommended to be applied steadily throughout the season to get continued benefit.

“The usual recommendation for most crops is 5–10L per hectare monthly. We’ve found that many farmers can significantly reduce their use of conventional nitrogen fertilisers when using Lono and get a better result – this also leads to a reduction in environmental pollution,” Mr Kynigos said.

“It also helps plants during times of stress induced by weather extremes – especially relevant given conditions many Australian growers have faced in the past two years. When used, growers achieve higher yields and healthier crops that perform better when growing conditions are less than ideal.

“Increasingly Australian farmers are under pressure to be sustainable and reduce farming input costs (impacted in recent years by various factors such as COVID, the war in Ukraine, labour shortages, supply chain delays, raw material costs and rising inflation).

“Australian farming is experiencing a significant move towards soil health, regenerative agriculture and adopting innovative technologies. Lono works with plants’ natural systems to enhance production without environmental damage.

“Many have adopted sustainable practices such as conservation tillage, which reduces soil erosion and improves soil health, and precision agriculture, which uses technology to optimise water and fertiliser use. We expect this to continue to grow as farmers seek innovation out of necessity.”

The ProdOz team will exhibit a range of products including Lono Hort Connections in Adelaide from June 5–7, 2023. Lono can be ordered via the Levity Crop Science Australia website or direct from a ProdOz consultant.