It was about twenty years ago at the start of my work in the fertiliser industry that Golden Bay dolomite for me became an essential resource.
I came across a small group of dairy farmers in the Matamata region that claimed to have minimal animal health issues of any type. The one thing that was common practise amongst this group was that Golden Bay Dolomite was applied regularly to each of their properties.
Their claim was that calcium/magnesium problems were negligible, bloat was almost non existent, as was facial eczema. I was somewhat puzzled as to how a single annual application of calcium and magnesium could have such an effect on what were perceived to be ailments of unrelated causes.
As farmers our understanding was that each particular illness had a particular cause, they were unrelated and each needed a quite separate treatment, often with varying results. Our own experience was that even with increasing the amount of magnesium supplemented to stock we needed to remain extra vigilant to avoid unwanted deaths in spring.
Bloat then reared its ugly head just as cows started to reach peak production. There is plenty of work to indicate that bloat is linked to the potassium:sodium ratio of spring pasture. Ideally the ratio in a pasture leaf test should be 7:1 or less however it is not uncommon for this ratio to exceed 25:1.
Facial eczema spore counts can vary widely between neighbouring properties, even when subject to the same climatic conditions. There is a school of thought along with evidence that indicates facial eczema problems are lessened with the regular application of lime.
Perhaps the reason for the group of farmers in the Waikato claiming that annual applications of Golden Bay Dolomite were able to alleviate all these issues is due to its ability to ‘condition’ soils. Dolomite has the ability to improve the physical structures of soil allowing for better drainage of excess water, more rapid exchange of gasses, and quicker recovery from treading damage.
Soil health improves with better drainage, with plant roots able to grow deeper into the soil accessing nutrient and moisture from lower levels. Along with the extra calcium and magnesium applied there is probably less luxury feeding taking place near the soil surface where potassium concentrations are likely to be higher.
Dolomite encourages earthworm activity, and earthworms devour dead grass left on the soil surface, limiting the habitat for facial eczema spore.
Just as with any living organism when just one aspect of health is improved all aspects improve. Every aspect of soil, chemical, physical, and biological, is related and interdependent. Dolomite supplies both calcium and magnesium, though its primary function is as a magnesium fertiliser.
Being originally a seabed deposit it also contains a wide range of naturally occurring trace minerals. Dolomite can be applied at any time of the year with an improvement in animal health and performance being reported sometimes within a fortnight of application.