------=_NextPart_000_0001_01C4365F.F9DAB6F0
charset="iso-8859-1"
Thanks Ian:
Your biodynamic approach is what I think we need as long term producers.
Could we expand the discussion in that direction?
Our soils are actually very rich in organic matter. Our last Hills lab
tests show over 20% OM, 25 meq/100 g CEC, 6.6 pH. K and Mg are over the
high range. The other macro nutrients are high-medium. One thing I have
noticed, is that even though our soils are mid (0,33 meq) Sodium. Our
clover and grass analysis are low in Na (0,09%). My possible explanation
is that the high N and K are blocking the Na plant absorption. What
would you think? Is it worth it trying to add more Na?
We keep cows in the same paddock for 24 hours maximum before they move
to the next so we reduce rest areas to our best possible.
I was also reading Liliana mails on =93grass grubs=94 and I would like
to
read someone=B4s opinion with the same biodynamic approach. In her case,
the discussions and comments have focused on insecticides and mechanical
controls. My question would be =93Why is there a grass grub
overpopulation?=94 Is it totally widespread over the farm? Do they
attack
only certain paddock with a common background? What natural vectors
would naturally control grubs in any given paddock?
It seems so easy to go to the store to buy the magical solution=85. To
cure the symptoms. It would be so useful to find the reasons first. I
hope many other that know so much about this would participate.
Carlos Batallas
Quito, Ecuador
cbatall@uio.satnet.net
-----Mensaje original-----
De: graze-l-admin@witt.ac.nz [mailto:graze-l-admin@witt.ac.nz] En nombre
de ShortyB
Enviado el: Lunes, 10 de Mayo de 2004 3:52
Para: graze-l@witt.ac.nz
Asunto: RE: [Graze-l] 'Dock'??
Hi Carlos
>From what I have read Docks (in general) can indicate low calcium, high
potassium. These go with what you are saying. Areas that animals camp on
(rest or sleep at) are generally more fertile due to fertility transfer.
Lots of animal dung usually means soils are more acidic. High nitrogen
areas can also cause dock population explosions. Not being overly
familiar with farming volcanic soils I would still look at your calcium
levels and if it is practical top (cut) the dock at flowering to prevent
seeding.
>From the sounds of it your soils can be difficult to manage, low organic
matter levels. Like all =93good=94 pioneer healing plants Dock love bare
soil, one of natures ways to try and clothe herself. Use of minerals to
correct a problem can take several seasons to get good results.
Unfortunately the more we damage (mudding) the longer it will take. So
look at cutting the seed head to try and limit the reseeding. Remember
the adage one years seeding seven years weeding. Dock also love to grow
from any little root segments, so cultivation (chopping up all those
roots) will add to the number of plants. Sorry I cannot give a more
positive answer. Being biodynamic I have no real knowledge of chemical
sprays to use. In NZ there use to be one called Asulox which was for
Docks. But remember spraying is not really the answer as we are not
getting rid of the problem, only the symptoms. Don=92t use a product
such
as roundup as it will only leave large bare areas where dock and every
other weed well love to visit.
Hopefully others may have some good advice for us all.
regards
Ian Buckingham
Maungatawhiri
New Zealand
I=B4m writing from Ecuador. We have good dark volcanic soils in
temperate
climate areas. We tend to see a lot of dock showing up in areas where
cattle round up to sleep. I don=B4t know if this happens due to the
localized compaction or due to the high manure concentration. Dock is
also visible in paddock areas close to the barns or roads where there is
a higher effluent concentration. Cattle has no problem eating it when
it=B4s very young when it=B4s supposed to be very low in tannins. We see
its
palatability reduced as it grows older. We thought it was associated to
a rapid increase in tannins concentration. In some cases it becomes very
aggressive and grows very fast taking over important areas in our
paddocks. Where it takes over we don=B4t get any grass or clovers to
grow
because the broad leaves shade the area rapidly (there might be other
reasons we don=B4t know about). In those areas the soil becomes loose
and
washes off when it rains hard. The leaves show a very healthy and rapid
development when the fertility is high and the area receives a lot of
Nitrogen. We have tried adding different minerals to the plants to
understand what it respond to. The better more visible responses are to
lime. When we add lime around the plants, the leaves tend to become weak
and thinner and don=B4t look so green and healthy. We haven=B4t been
able to
reduce dock infestations by liming. The amount of forrage we get in the
dock patches is less than ryegrass + clovers, and our main problem is
related to the loose soil that will wash away in the rainy season. Those
areas are very sensitive to =93pugging=94 (we call it mudding) when we
have
to graze under wet conditions. It spreads be seed. The plant produces a
large seed head easy to grab it you want it. I think the seed is viable
in a high %. It establishes well in grazed paddocks even when new have
short rotations (21 days).
We consider dock a pest when it becomes too aggressive and overtakes
large areas from our paddocks.
It would be interesting to know better what it responds to so we can
manage its populations in our paddocks.
