Since 1990 we’ve worked in the belief that agriculture, particularly pastoral farming, would steadily embrace alternative practices when they were shown to be beneficial.
And we’ve been wrong. However, the technology we’ve known to be the best for our pastoral farming industry is now, little by little, being accepted by mainstream.
The frustration is that a generation of farmers have missed out on the benefits and the providers have battled away with little reward, but it is now time to park all of that and embrace a move forward.
An important concept is that everything is linked. Steadily lifting annual pasture production, improved animal health, efficient plant energy formation, carbon sequestration, and better utilisation of nutrient all come together in a single package.
When one aspect improves so do all others and over time under astute daily management, they build on each other and the concern over what’s going to go pear shaped today dissipates and we can look forward to the next step up.
Pastoral farming, at its heart, is the production of protein via the energy conversion process of photosynthesis.
It’s a complex procedure that occurs naturally and one that man has been unable to replicate, the reason for there being no alternative.
Pastoral farming has persisted for thousands of years and will continue to do so, and we can rightly feel proud of being part of such a beneficial and noble industry.
It is also under permanent grazed pasture that carbon is most rapidly sequestered and therefore should be encouraged, particularly in sensitive catchment areas.
Its how it’s carried out that becomes a critical component of the way forward and efficient use our natural resources is essential.
Over millions of years there’s been a steady loss of mineral from land to sea, a process that man has had no hand in.
Through land movement minerals have been compacted and what once accumulated on the seabed has become inland deposits.
Golden Bay dolomite is a case in point. Comprised of 24% calcium and 11% magnesium, both in the carbonate form, it’s a valuable and at present an underutilised resource.
Nitrogen whether in the synthetic form or fixed naturally by clover steadily removes calcium from pastoral soils. To replace it lime is usually applied however in intensive dairy there is also a requirement for magnesium.
Dolomite is the logical solution and one the farming industry has control of. Applied once a year at a rate of 250kg/ha there’s a steady lift in plant available magnesium without a reduction in the calcium content.
The result is a marked reduction in calcium/magnesium related metabolic disorders, particularly in spring.
The requirement for additional supplementation via in line dispenser or dusting drops significantly.
There’s an increasing demand for bagged dolomite to put in bins as a free access mineral. Animals that have a requirement quickly identify and eat only the amount necessary to maintain optimum health.
It may be applied at any time and a late spring early summer application provides a welcome reduction in animal health costs, more nitrogen fixed free of charge, and a reduction in the amount of lime required.
For more information call Peter on 027 495 0041 or 0800 436 566.