With the growing awareness that soil fertility is primarily driven by calcium, as well as the importance of magnesium for robust animal health, dolomite from Golden Bay is once again becoming the preferred autumn magnesium fertiliser for many farmers nationwide.
During the 1960s and 70s when there appeared a greater appreciation of the importance of the farming to the financial well-being of the nation the cost of the cartage component of dolomite to farm was subsidised.
The rationale was that the benefits gained from improved farm performance resulting from its use were greater than the cost of the cartage and a greater tonnage of dolomite was sold for pastoral use than has been the case in recent years.
The improvement in overall animal health as a result of an annual dolomite application has never been queried. Although a marble and therefore very hard the fineness of grinding ensures rapid release of both magnesium and calcium.
On properties where calcium/magnesium related problems are severe marked improvements in animals have been observed as soon as a fortnight after application.
An often-used objection for the use of dolomite is the price. This is based on the premise that it doesn’t matter in what form magnesium is applied to the soil.
Healthy soil is a living breathing organism teeming with life and what is applied to it and the form in which it is applied has a significant effect on soil processes which in turn has a similar effect on the mineral status and health of plants, animals, and ultimately the final consumers, us.
Dolomite is a natural seabed deposit now above ground but still containing a wide range of minor minerals. It is highly regarded as a human magnesium/calcium health supplement with no difference between that sold in capsules and what is delivered to farm in 28 tonne truck and trailer loads.
The theory of applying product that provides nutrient at the lowest cost ignores the importance of outcome and no fertiliser product is applied without the expectation of some benefit occurring.
Laboratory analysis and performance modelling may be useful however farmer observation and experience over many years is perhaps of greater value and farmers that are dolomite devotees have become so based on proven and consistent performance.
Soil life is a vital aspect of successful pastoral farming. As Dr Graham Sparling stated in his 2004 Norman Taylor Memorial Lecture “soil is only soil if it has biological activity, otherwise it’s dead like moon dust…”
For maximum biological activity soils need to be well structured so that air can enter rapidly and gases, predominantly carbon dioxide, leave.
Dolomite is a proven soil conditioner unique in its ability to provide an excellent balance of both calcium and magnesium with regular measuring indicating higher energy levels in pasture and crops to which dolomite has been applied.