How fertiliser nitrogen applied now may cause your land to devalue in the future, September 2012
I was approached recently by a dairy farming family passionate about their farm and dedicated to the dairy industry. Their concern was the steadily escalating cost of producing milksolids and the rapidly declining amount paid for them. Specifically they...
7 reasons why local magnesium is providing the best results this spring August 2012
We have always been keen to understand why it is that properties applying dolomite annually have so few calcium magnesium related metabolic disorders in spring and enjoy well above normal levels of production. Our experience leads us to the view that there...
A better outcome by spending less July 2012
Below 10°C the cycling of all nutrients, of which nitrogen is one, is slow and the application of any one of them will have little if any immediate effect on the growth of permanent pastures. The grasses in permanent pastures are bred to grow strongly from...
Reducing the workload in spring June 2012
There is a school of thought that dolomite should not be applied in situations where soil calcium levels are near ideal because dolomite as well as containing 11.5% magnesium also contains 24% calcium. In theory that appears sound, however the reality is...
Surviving winter to enjoy spring, May 2012
The following information will provide farmers with the ability to grow more feed in spring. For those who don’t enjoy winter, there’s the added benefit of getting to spring in a better frame of mind. Our first few years of pastoral farming were spent...
Improved pasture persistence, March 2012
It’s fascinating to watch companies with the miracle product suddenly develop a new product that will cure all ills. Could it be that the original product did not perform as claimed or is it a case of trying to chase the market as it changes? One of the...
Soils need to breathe February 2012
Soil is a living breathing organism, and as with any other oxygen dependent organism potential performance increases with improved ability to suck air in and breathe out gases. Conversely when unable to breathe soil dies and what remains is no longer...
Maximising summer and early autumn production, January 2012
The marked reduction in the incidence of calcium/magnesium related metabolic disorders, particularly in dairy cows, as a result of a single annual application of Golden Bay Dolomite is well known and easily monitored. The overall improvement in animal...
Determining the value of nutrient inputs, Dec 2011
Much of the conventional fertiliser model is based on the premise that the cheapest input is the best. This ignores the performance aspect of products and there are many examples where the cheapest products available simply do not perform as well or...
The importance of structure over summer, November 2011
The structure of soil has a strong influence on the quantity of pasture grown from now until rain arrives in autumn. After a wet winter, in areas where treading damage has been unavoidable, the soil may have become a little compacted with the bulk of...