New Zealand's Finest Magnesium Fertiliser
General Manager
Merv Solly
03 525 9843
0274 545 930
North Island
Ron McLean
07 5433 526
027 289 4258
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Avoca Lime Company Limited
Lovell Road
Whangarei
09 433 5720
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South Island
Trevor Pearce - Top of the South / West Coast / Canterbury
03 544 5511
027 230 9934
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Ross Wright – South Island
027 246 2114
03 525 9843
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The correct base saturation of Magnesium and Calcium determines soil structure. Magnesium tightens soil and Calcium loosens it.
Ideal levels will give optimum pore space providing 25% air and 25% water within the soil profile. This, along with correct nutrient levels, provides an ideal environment for soil biology to thrive.
Additional Info
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Percentage
Golden Bay Dolomite supplies calcium carbonate, essential to all soils. A correct application of Dolomite will lift the base saturation of both Calcium and Magnesium to the required levels (Calcium – 68% and Magnesium 12%). Liming increases Calcium alone and therefore will decrease the Magnesium base saturation percentage causing health issues in soil and animals. Reduced magnesium levels will then require a more costly approach to rectify.
Rather than guessing, it is recommended a comprehensive Kinsey/Albrecht Soil test from Perry Laboratories be taken. This shows exactly how much calcium and magnesium may need to be applied to your soil (also includes primary, secondary and trace elements).
Caution must be taken when looking at pH as a reason to apply calcium as each of the four cations effect pH, Magnesium 1.6x Potassium 2x and Sodium 4x more than Calcium!
Additional Info
- Percentage 59%
Neal Kinsey Introductory Soil Fertility Course 2020
THIS SEMINAR IS NOW POSTOPONED UNTIL 2021 – DATE TO BE ADVISED
Venue:
The Function Centre
Brancott Winery
Main Road South
Blenheim
Cost:
Individual registrations $750 + gst
Couples $1,400 + gst
Single day $300 + gst
Whether your business is orchards, vineyards, cropping or pastoral farming, we invite you to take this opportunity to participate in this seminar to hear Neal Kinsey speak about the most important issue facing our industries today – soil health.
For more information please contact:
Ross Wight - This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., 027 246 2114
Ron McLean - This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., 027 289 4258 or:
Don Hart - This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., 027 432 0187
Phone: 0800 549 433
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Each application of Dolomite presents magnesium to your stock through your pasture every day.
Magnesium losses on high producing dairy farms are estimated to be in the order of 20-25 kg/ha per year.
Because of Dolomites purity its magnesium content is readily available to plants, and therefore animals. Applying dolomite can reduce the need for many supplementary health remedies that are costly, time consuming and effect production. Applying magnesium and Calcium in the form of Dolomite can help reduce milk fever and grass staggers in dairy cows and improve overall stock health. Achieving adequate levels of Magnesium in stock has a calming affect on them, meaning less stress for all involved.
Magnesium is found at the centre of the chlorophyll molecule, the plants light-harvesting, energy-producing centre, and so plays an important role in energy metabolism as well as the production of oils and proteins. You will obtain these advantages as magnesium moves up to the desired 12 – 20% base saturation level.
A key fact often overlooked about Golden Bay Dolomite is the nature of the rock and its ability to crush down to a very fine particle size. Without doubt the fineness of grinding is one of the major contributing factors to the continued success of Dolomite as typically 66% of the product is ground to less than 150 microns (0.15mm) so that solubility and plant availability are optimised.
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Soil pH is determined by the four main cations; Calcium, Magnesium, Potassium and Sodium.
Each of these elements effects pH to a different degree with the 39% Magnesium in Golden Bay Dolomite lifting the pH 1.66 x more than straight Calcium found in normal ag lime.
So for every one ton of dolomite applied you lift the pH higher than the equivalent one ton of lime.
Address the main cation levels and pH will take care of itself.
A critically important element Calcium should be viewed for its effect on plant and animal nutrition along with microbial health more than adjusting pH alone.
Known as the ‘King of nutrients’ calcium is the trucker of all minerals because it is intimately involved in the movement of nutrients in and out of the cell. Calcium is also the key mineral determining cell strength as, in combination with Silica; it is built into the cell wall. Shelf life, resistance to disease and reduced insect pressure are all benefits if increased cell strength.
Dolomite is a major source of calcium, a deficiency of which causes stunted growth, restricted leaf development and paleness at leaf margins.
Adjusting the Calcium / Magnesium levels in the soil with a calculated application of Dolomite, will reduce soil acidity (lift pH) and therefore ensure better over all nutrient availability.
The presence of broadleaf weeds are an indicator that Calcium is lacking. This alone should be enough to indicate the need for Dolomite or Lime, but look for other signs. Checking the “brix” levels (sugar content) in pasture with a refractometer offers a reliable guideline to calcium levels.
If the plant contains adequate levels of calcium, the indicator line is fuzzy and indistinct, but it sharpens and becomes more defined as calcium becomes deficient. If the sap pH is low in pasture this also helps to confirm a calcium shortage.
It is obvious that if you are exporting calcium off the farm twice a day as milk (dairy farming), you need to compensate for this removal. If a penetrometer reveals a tight, closed soil with a hard pan at 20cm, this is yet another indicator of a soil screaming out for the flocculating force of calcium.
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To determine the base saturation first we need to know the “Total exchange capacity”, this will tell us the nutrient holding ability of your soil.
We must then measure the percentages of each of the main Cations - Calcium, Magnesium, Potassium and Sodium and adjust them to the ideal levels that will help grow crops and pastures to their maximum potential.
This will also improve the environment for the soil biology, which is absolutely critical in the processing of nutrient for plants. Many minerals are not available to plants directly and need to be ‘reduced’ through a biological process to change them into plant available forms.
It is not about flooding the soil with any one element but rather a balancing act of all essential minerals. Look at the most limiting nutrient first ‘Law of the minimum’ when prioritising budget, then the next limiting, and so on.
Magnesium levels need to be adjusted to a specific base saturation percentage (see graph below)
Not enough magnesium means a deficiency to the plant, but if the magnesium level climbs to high this can also limit uptake.
Calcium should occupy the most sites on the soil colloids and is the king of all nutrients.
We must try and achieve the ideal BS of calcium as an excessive liming programme will increase calcium levels to a point where it may ‘tie up’ other elements.
Potassium is another of the main nutrients to have in the right B.S. percentage. Ideally 5% is the excellent level or up to 7% for woody crops like grape vines or fruit trees.
It is very important to have Potassium levels higher than Sodium as the plant will take up whichever one is at the higher level. We therefore want to avoid excessive Sodium uptake which may cause cell degradation (wilting) and yellowing in crops.
When micro nutrients are present in the soil in adequate amounts, and the soil has the right base saturation percentages, they are at their most available.
It is not correct to say balance the soil and micronutrients will take care of themselves; some soils simply do not contain adequate amounts of micronutrients. However, if they are already there and tied up by excesses, they will be released as the excesses are brought under control.
Listed below are the optimum cation base saturation percentages for most soils.
Base Percentage
VIEW PERCENT BASE SATURATION >>
True soil balance means determining and adding the proper amount of each nutrient only when required. Fertility is the balance between all elements. Not only is each element necessary individually, but a balance of all these elements is necessary ‘collectively’.
Achieving the above means improved nutrient availability and proper plant nutrition.
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1. A soil is the stomach of the plant and full of life so we should avoid applying chemicals wherever possible. We are a reflection of the soils health.
2. Most chemical fertilisers kill or reduce microbe populations causing imbalances and restricting mineral uptake by plants. Nitrogen is the only major plant nutrient that you can grow yourself; reduce artificial nitrogen inputs and look after your soil biology.
3. Eighty to ninety-five percent of plant yield comes from the atmosphere, while only 2-5% comes from the soil (sources vary).
4. Fertiliser effectiveness is based around the calcium content of your soil. If the base saturation calcium is below 60% then nutrient uptake is restricted.
5. Apply Dolomite or lime to correct calcium and/or magnesium not to correct pH!
6. If Lucerne, oats and similar grains have hollow stems, calcium is lacking and yield will not meet its full potential. Adequate calcium translates into better stock growth rates and weight gain.
7. The target base saturation figures for most New Zealand soils are;
- Calcium 68%
- Magnesium 12%
- Potassium 5%
- Sodium 1.5%
8. We believe a Soil analysis from Perry Agricultural Laboratories is the only way to truly see where the base saturation levels are in your soil.
9. Calcium and Boron work together so applied Dolomite or Lime can be enhanced with adding Boron. Selenium, Cobalt and Boron are commonly deficient in New Zealand soils.
10. Fertilisers are more effective with carbon added as carbon is food for the microbes. Carbon sources can be well made compost, microbial inoculated aged bark, humates and/or charcoal.
11. Not all sources of N, P, K, Mag, S etc are the same. Organic forms are far superior to chemical forms, and some chemicals are worse than others. The ‘bioavailable’ forms of nutrients are the best healthy options.
12. An organic fertiliser programme will feed the microbes first, which will then feed the plant. Microbes include bacteria, fungi, protozoa, nematodes, algae, ciliates, arthropods and earthworms.
13. Bacteria have a carbon to Nitrogen ratio of 5:1 so for every six bacteria eaten five parts of Nitrogen are released. It is therefore very important to have the soil in balance and provide an ideal environment for the biology to thrive.
14. There is 74,000 tonnes of free Nitrogen above every hectare. This can be sequestered in the soil by having a 7:1 Ca: Mag ratio with available phosphorous, iron, cobalt and molybdenum. If one of these is missing you may have to import nitrogen.
15. The number of earthworms in the soil is an excellent visual sign of a healthy soil, similar to how the number of frogs indicates the health of our water ways.
16. The number of earthworms in the soil is an excellent visual sign of a healthy soil, and they can produce 30-300 tonnes /ha of casts per year. Worm casts from 20 worms per spade square contain 5xN (1.2/ha), 7xP, 3xMg,11xK and 1.5xCa, far more than ordinary soil (62 earthworms per square metre).Sulphur iron, zinc and trace elements also increase. Pasture fibre increases by over 100%.
17. Sixty percent of the sugars manufactured in leaves are dumped into the roots at night. Because sugar content in leaves is highest then, endeavour to cut hay or silage in late afternoon or evening.
18. Do not confuse symptoms with causes; the disease is not the cause but rather a symptom of an already failing and deficient system. Once you accept this you can start to address the real problems - soil health.
19. Dr Linus Pauling, winner of two Nobel Prizes stated: “In my opinion, one can trace every sickness, every disease and every ailment to mineral deficiency”. If you accept this statement, then poor fertiliser programmes are responsible for all of the below;
- Stock health problems
- Pest and disease problems
- Fungal and bacterial diseases
- Rot and short shelf life of Fruit and vegetables
- Continuous dipping, drenching and dagging
- Constant re-grassing of pasture
20. Organic matter is the single most important factor determining profit, yet just one kilogram of excess nitrogen will account for a loss of 110kgs of soil carbon, so organic matter will decline slowly but surely.
21. Most farm soils being “fed” by chemical fertilisers are losing organic matter and the ability to hold nutrients and moisture. They are becoming more drought-prone, and pasture growth rates are decreasing, even with applied chemical nitrogen.
22. Over time correct fertiliser policies and a biological farming approach will substantially drought-proof the soil, build organic matter and improve soil health. If soils do not have good levels of organic matter they will not store enough water to feed rivers over the summer, which is why summer river flows are decreasing.
23. About 75% of soluble phosphate products tie up with calcium, aluminium, manganese and iron within six weeks of application.
24. Phosphorus, along with nitrogen is responsible for eutrophication of our water supplies. Eutrophication is increased algal growth and decreased oxygen levels of drains, rivers and lakes, owing to chemical phosphorus and nitrogen reaching waterways. One kilogram of phosphorus can grow 350-700kgs of algae.
25. Insoluble yet available forms of phosphorus like RPR, Guano or Dicalcic fertiliser, along with correct calcium levels will cause aluminium and iron levels to fall as the soil comes into balance.
26. Soluble phosphorus products kill vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (VAM). Mycorrhizal fungi can increase the roots access to nutrient by up to 1,000 times, and plants grown with VAM have increased nutrition. Lack of VAM leads to soil erosion and leaching. New Zealand’s rates of soil erosion are very high.
27. Soil scientists claim 16 elements are required to support life; however some geneticists maintain that at least 64 are required. Lack of an element means plant functioning is reduced and disease will follow.
28. Potassium Chloride (KCL) kills microbes, just 2ppm (4kgs/ha) of chlorine is enough to cause harm and the net effect of this is a rock hard soil. KCL also encourages certain weed growth. Potassium Chloride has a salt index of 116 – Potassium Sulphate has a salt index of 46. When correcting soil potassium deficiencies insist on using Potassium Sulphate.
29. Silicon is abundant in the soil, but not necessarily available. Available Silicon in plants will thwart penetration by fungal hyphae and will cause dehydration and death in insects.
30. NPK does not build fertility or organic matter – only calcium, carbon and biology do. The higher the organic matter the greater the ability of the soil to hold nutrients and moisture.
31. NPK has grown grass and is growing grass, but the decline of soil organic matter and loss of carbon the atmosphere means it is not a sustainable practice. This must be addressed if we are to improve farming long term.
32. Trace elements are vitally important to the growing of healthy crops. Just because they are found in lesser amounts within the soil does not make them any less essential, they must be included in a balanced fertiliser programme.
33. It is recommended a comprehensive soil test is carried out each year to determine your soils deficiencies. “If we don’t measure we can’t manage”.
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Golden Bay Dolomite is natural Magnesium Carbonate, non - leaching and totally plant available. Typically New Zealand soils are magnesium deficient, Dolomite will efficiently build both Magnesium and Calcium base saturation levels in your soil.
Each application of Dolomite presents magnesium to your stock through your pasture. In doing this you decrease animal metabolic problems, therefore reducing the need for many extra animal health remedies.
Some functions of Magnesium in plants are:
- Found at the centre of the chlorophyll, essential for plant photosynthesis
- Is a carrier for Phosphorus so will ensure a steady flow of P to the plant
- Will increase nitrogen fixation in legumes
- Is both an enzyme activator and a constituent of many enzymes
- Responsible for sugar synthesis and starch translocation
- Nutrient uptake control.
Additional Info
- Percentage 39%