Environmental and economic pressures have dramatically altered our perception of pasture and how nutritionally it should be best utilised.
Plants obtain the essential nutrients they require from the soil. In fertile healthy soils these nutrients are available in sufficient amounts, however as the soils electrical conductivity improves so too the physical nature of the soil, allowing the root zone the capacity to convert these nutrients more efficiently, as an example it would be necessary on dairy pasture to apply a mineralised humate form of nutrient in early spring to optimise rising soil temperatures and autumn to top up residuals taken from the plant during the optimum growing period.
Criticism has been directed on the physical attributes of humate fertilisers on the soil and plant derived by the small amount of carbon actually applied compared with the actual increases in soil organic carbon we manufacturers achieve, however the activity of this material is strongly biological as humates produce a change in microbial activity, stimulating beneficial forms of fungi especially the cellulose utilisers,.in conjunction mulching and green manuring are beneficial methods for improving the cellulose utilising fungi which assist in the breakdown of organic matter in the soil structure. The use of mineral humates in pasture growth have many beneficial effects including the production of enzymes and antibiotics and are important in the conversion of organic matter to humic substances which greatly improve the reticulation of elements and minerals from the soil, improving the plants uptake and cellular capabilities.
SUGGESTED PASTURE RATES OF APPLICATION FOR HUMATE FERTILISERS
NOTE : These recommended rates are reflective of a Humate fertiliser program selected from the range prescribed by the Mikhail soil testing system
