The Benefits of Adding Extra Bugs

The Benefits of Adding Extra Bugs

Peter Burton
23rd November 2008


The question voiced by some and probably thought by a great many more is “why add extra bugs to the soil when it is already teeming with uncountable numbers?”

The answer is that, provided the ones being applied are beneficial and supported by sufficient food and minerals for their establishment, as is the case with those incorporated in CalciZest and DoloZest, the results are always positive.

The positive outcomes measured over the last six years are, an increase in crop or pasture yield, an increase in their energy content, and earlier maturity.

In a pastoral situation that means more total pasture grown in a twelve-month period and when utilised efficiently this results in higher production. Milk solid production lifts and animal weight gains increase.
In a cropping situation earlier maturity means a wider harvest window and a higher quality product.

Higher energy is a key factor to the success. Farming systems are essentially about the ability to convert sunlight to other forms of energy that people are able to either consume or benefit from in some other way.
The use of high-energy supplements in dairy, and fattening operations is because extra energy when provided in an appropriate farm results in increased animal performance.

The incorporation of CalciZest and DoloZest into sound nutrient programmes has the ability to lift the energy component of pasture, as measured by brix, by around 50% within a three-year period.

It is not uncommon for dairy cows on properties with brix levels consistently above 9 to produce in excess of 2.0kg MS/day and start gaining weight immediately after calving.

Livestock farmers able to accurately weigh animals often record weight gains well outside anything experienced previously.

Animals fed consistently high brix pasture benefit in all ways. Resistance to disease and infection are increased, fertility and the ability to handle heat and cold steadily improve.

Simply adding beneficial organisms to the soil is not usually sufficient in itself. For beneficial microbes to flourish and provide long-term benefits that increase year after year the soil environment must be modified to suit those microbes.

Calcium is the driver of soil biology but needs to be balanced with other nutrients particularly magnesium. DoloZest based on Golden Bay Dolomite provides both calcium and magnesium. CalciZest based on high quality Ag.lime provides calcium where magnesium is not a requirement.

Phosphorus is a key component of plant energy formation and therefore an ongoing requirement.

As with all successful soil fertility programmes the greatest benefits are where daily on-farm management is well tuned and there are careful and accurate measurements of all aspects of farm performance.