With returns to farmers for milk, meat, and wool at best uncertain and costs continuing to increase, now is an opportune time to refocus on what kiwi farmers do best; growing pasture and efficiently converting it via skilful grazing management.
We no longer enjoy the advantage of land cheaper than competing countries. Our prices for the important inputs of fuel and fertiliser vary little from food producers elsewhere.
Our advantages lie with our climate and quality soils, but most importantly farmers and their ability to further develop and refine our unique farming systems.
The farming systems that we have now were born out of necessity when monetary resources were scarce with low cost innovation an essential factor in their success.
Soil is the basis of pastoral farming systems and as good as we are at caring for the black gold under our feet there is still much that can be done to enhance its ability to grow increasing quantities of nutritious feed.
It is important to remember that the purpose of farming is to provide food for people. People perform best when nourished on high quality nutrient rich food and food quality is largely dependent on soil quality.
All things in a farming system are inextricably linked. Increasing, withholding, or changing fertiliser inputs changes soil chemistry, which in turn changes soil biology in turn altering nutrient composition, digestibility, and energy of the pasture.
The quantity of feed consumed as well its nutrient composition, digestibility, and energy largely dictates animal performance, and it all starts with the soil.
Although soils vary in type, the way in which they function is fundamentally the same. They all need moisture, air, and warmth. At farmer or grower level there is much that can be done on a regular basis to enhance soil quality.
Due to more rapid weathering soils from higher rainfall areas may often contain less of the nutrients required for pasture growth than soils in drier climates. Weathering is the natural degradation of rock, which is accelerated under high rainfall.
Depleted nutrients may be replaced by the application of finely ground natural rock.
Where both calcium and magnesium are required for both maximum grass and clover growth and the prevention of calcium/magnesium based metabolic disorders, dolomite from Golden Bay is a highly effective and cost-effective option. Dolomite, being a natural deposit, contains small quantities of trace elements, including boron, cobalt, copper, and zinc.
To ensure rapid plant availability of nutrients dolomite, a marble, is ground finely with 75% being less than 200 microns. An improvement in animal health can often be seen within three weeks of application.
Dolomite also assists with soil flocculation. Flocculation is the clumping together of individual and tiny soil particles into small groups. One major benefit is earlier spring growth due to improved drainage and a more rapid rise in soil temperature.
Dolomite assists the process of soil flocculation, regardless of soil type. The improved texture achieved in tightly packed clay soils is just as marked and significant as in coarser particled silt and sand soils.