Popular Questions
Q. Why should I pasture sample?
A. Just like we soil sample to determine what nutrients are needed for plant growth, it makes sense to pasture sample to establish what nutrients our livestock require for growth and performance. As pasture forms the majority of the diet in NZ livestock systems, understanding the nutrient content of the pastures on your farm gives you a major advantage. How? Read more…
Q. Why take a 150mm soil sample over 75mm sample depth?
A. The commonly accepted sampling depth for soil sampling under pastures is 75mm. This is based on the assumption that this is the maximum root depth of pastures. However, if you are trying to encourage deeper root growth (to build soil carbon) or you have pasture species within your sward with deeper rooting depths (eg. Chicory), then understanding the nutrient content and availability at depth is important. Read more…
Q. What is DCAD and should I use anionic salts to reduce metabolic risk?
A. DCAD refers to dietary cation anion difference and is typically a measure of the proportion of the cations potassium (K) and sodium (Na), to the anions chlorine (Cl) and sulphur (S) in the diet. Physiologically, DCAD influences the animal’s acid-base homeostasis, Ca status around calving, and mineral element utilization. Read more…