Reducing Nitrate Leaching.

Reducing Nitrate Leaching.

17th February 2011
Peter Burton

The water we presently have is the only water there is.  Water can be treated and filtered in all manner of ways however as clean fresh drinking water is crucial to our long-term enjoyment of life, good health, and ultimate survival, maintaining the quality of it is the best option.
 
There is genuine and well founded concern by some farming leaders regarding the survival of intensive dairying in the sensitive lake water catchment areas of the Bay of Plenty.  The nitrate leaching levels that will need to be met will be markedly less than present.
 
Fencing off waterways has merit and that work needs to continue however the real issue is nitrate concentrations of water draining directly through the soil.  
 
Interim results from the nitrate leaching trial in the Central Plateau are highly encouraging.  Two properties equally reliant on nitrogen are being monitored on a monthly basis and the nitrate leaching levels are significantly different.
 
Both properties receive major essential nutrients but differ in the amount of nitrogen applied.  One receives regular fertiliser nitrogen, the other derives nitrogen from the soil than has been fixed naturally stimulated by an application of DoloZest in autumn and CalciZest in spring.
 
Perhaps the most important concept to understand is that health comes in a total package.  Everything is interrelated and sustainable good health starts with the soil.  It is not possible for one aspect of health whether it be plant, animal, or human health to be improving while other aspects are deteriorating.
 
A farmer recently explained to me, that after he took over the management of his farm from his father who had never applied nitrogen, there was a marked increase in pasture production after initial nitrogen applications. 
 
That increase in production was rapidly followed by an increase in the lameness of his cows, poorer mating performance, increased incidence of metabolic disorder, and bloat.   Poorer pasture persistence along with a steady decline in total pasture production also became apparent in following years.
 
Nitrogen applications were stopped and there was a steady improvement in animal health and pasture persistence although pasture production seemed less than that grown in earlier years.
 
Digging of holes and using Dr Graham Shepherds VSA work as the standard identified the likely problem.  Physical soil structures were less than optimum on all counts, even though soil calcium levels were close to ideal and great care was being taken to minimise treading damage at all times.
 
DoloZest applied in autumn markedly and steadily improves physical soil structures, increasing the rooting depth of all pasture plants reducing nitrate and other nutrients leaching.  More efficient harvesting of nutrients correspondingly decreases the amount of nutrient required to maintain plant available levels and maximise production.
 
As the health of soil steadily improves so does pasture persistence, total pasture growth, and all aspects of animal health and performance.  With the subsequent increase in the quality of the food produced our own health improves along with an increase in the enjoyment of and satisfaction in farming.