In the late 1980’s after the abrupt removal of all direct and indirect subsidies to the farming sector New Zealand had a decision to make.
Pastoral farming was being called a “sunset industry” and with the farmers strapped for cash the focus was short term survival and longer-term considerations were effectively binned.
There had been many years of research into low-cost sustainable production based on the ability of clover to provide the nitrogen necessary for annual pasture production in excess of 18 tonne of dry matter per hectare.
However, with a surplus of natural gas from the Kapuni field the ammonia urea plant was built and what started as a strategic use philosophy quickly developed into a dependency one.
It’s fascinating working with farmers now that genuinely believe that the only nitrogen available for pasture growth is synthetic, spread regularly throughout the season.
This lack of awareness of the natural nitrogen cycle is astonishing, as it applies to all plant growth not just pasture, with the air we breathe 78% nitrogen.
Had a research unit just announced that there was a way of taking nitrogen from the atmosphere and at no cost make it available for pasture growth it would doubtless be heralded as providing the long-sought breakthrough necessary for the prosperity of the dairy and sheep and beef industries.
It could be worth in excess of 10 billion dollars annually if we accept a report written over 20 years ago that stated that clover was in this country’s top 20 survival items, worth at that time 3 billion dollars.
That doesn’t factor in the steadily accelerating loss of labile soil carbon or the cost of treating our drinking water for excess nitrates.
The same report contained the following, “Without white clover livestock production in New Zealand would have to depend solely on fertiliser nitrogen. This has obvious environmental consequences.”
The counter argument is that the pastoral farming industry has benefitted greatly due to an increase in pasture production.
There is no question that synthetic (fertiliser) nitrogen is a powerful development tool, however long-term dependency has had the opposite effect with a steady decrease in annual dry matter grown.
There are intensive pastoral, including dairy, operations that use little if any synthetic nitrogen and benefit in a number of ways.
Per animal production is higher due to clover being more digestible than grasses particularly from early November until late March.
Animals eat more during their naturally allotted grazing time with a corresponding lift in milk production and weight gained.
Soluble energy of clover is nearly always higher, as measured by a handheld refractometer, which means less feed is required for animal maintenance.
Clover contains typically 3 times the calcium of grasses. Calcium is an essential component for bone growth and lamb fatteners know that lambs perform best on clover dense pasture.
Creating the conditions that favour clover in pasture is a remarkably simple and low-cost process that clients of Functional Fertiliser have implemented and enjoyed for over twenty years.
For more information talk to Peter on 0274950041 or 0800 843 809
