Put Some Zest In Your Pastures

Biozest is a smart farming technology with environmental benefits.

Biozest helps pasture naturally resist stress and damage as well as improving pasture growth, quality and resilience. Pasture treated with Biozest is more easily converted to valuable meat and milk instead of waste products like urea and greenhouse gases. 

Pukekohe company Zest Biozest manufactures Biozest and says it differs from any other product on the market. It’s manufactured from plant extracts, fatty acids, plant-compatible organic acids and wetting agents, and livestock grazed on Biozest treated pasture have a lower environmental impact with less greenhouse gas emissions and urea/nitrate leaching.

John and Michelle Cameron run Red Devon beef cattle on very hilly country in Northland and say the main things they’ve noticed using Biozest is their stock are in better condition, which they’ve held right through the season, and are very content.

“If the stock are happy we are happy,” John says.

“The calves have grown rapidly with their mothers’ milk appearing to have a thicker consistency which would seem to be giving better nutritional value. Our pasture appears denser with better nutritional value as well.”
Biozest is described as a technological leap forward from nitrogen phosphate and potassium (NPK) fertilisers, with all the science and data behind it on hand at its Fieldays stand Zest Biotech’s site at PD48 in the Pavilion.

“It’s tailored to New Zealand’s pasture-fed farming systems and can be used on organic, regenerative, and conventional farms,” says chief operating officer, Usha Amaranathan.

“It’s safe to apply, has no residue issues and is approved by all relevant regulatory bodies.”

Biozest is not currently sold overseas but the company is following some promising avenues with this likely to change in the next 12 months.

The company first exhibited at Fieldays shortly after launching Biozest in 2019 and this time around it’s formed an alliance with six helicopter companies to offer a great deal on the Biozest Starter Pack, which includes two rounds of Biozest and helicopter application at a low price.

 The company also produces Agrizest for vine and tree crops and Primazest for annual crops and cut flowers. Home gardeners aren’t forgotten with its Naturezest product, with a prize pack to be drawn on the final day of Fieldays.

Glenys Christian for Fieldays Focus